No Facebook account? You can still sign up on Messenger

New users of Facebook's Messenger app can sign up without an account on the social network's social network.

Not-on-Facebook-Facebook-Messenger-introduces-accountless-sign-up-Photo-AFP

Continuing with its far-reaching changes on user-interface, Facebook on Wednesday announced yet another significant tweak: You can now sign up on the social networking site's Messenger app without an account.

To begin with, the change will roll out first in the US and Canada, Peru and Venezuela before arriving in other territories. The accountless system asks only for a phone number and a first and last name -- so, just like February 2014 acquisition WhatsApp.

Users will still be able to connect with existing friends by letting the app sift through their contacts, matching them up with identical phone numbers already associated with Facebook profiles. With the latest update, you will be prompted by an option that says 'Not on Facebook?' when you open the app. You can then sign up with your name, phone number and a photo.

Thus it can place an accountless Messenger user on Facebook's Social Graph, deduces TechCrunch, while at the same time allowing them to search among Facebook profiles for people they might know.

The mobile messaging service, which has 600 million users, has added a number of new features in recent months, including games and video calling. Facebook's flagship social network has 1.4 billion users.