Caprine

Caprine is an unofficial desktop Facebook messenger. Just like the services it is based on, the tool supports not only chatting but also making audio and video calls.

However, there is one thing that could make you want to try this application: it focuses on preserving your privacy.

If you have already used a messenger, there is not much to learn before you can use it fluently. The interface has a left panel showing a list of your friends as well as the last time they were active. By picking one of your contacts, you can view your chat sessions with them. Moreover, you can start a voice or video call by clicking on the corresponding button. The interface is highly configurable, which means that you can change the color scheme and style. Likewise, there are options to search for a given text within a conversation, edit nicknames and change emojis.

The basic functions of the tool coincide with those provided by Facebook. In this respect, it lets you send and receive messages, start individual and group chats as well as share files with other users. Thanks to its integration with the Notifications Center, you can receive alerts whenever a new message is received.

As said, the tool supports enabling some settings aimed at protecting your privacy. In this respect, if you are chatting, you can prevent others from knowing that you have already read a message or are typing at the moment. Similarly, you can avoid that anyone else (probably looking over your shoulder) knows who you are chatting with. What is more, the application promises that the links you click are not tracked by Facebook.

There are not many things I do not like about Caprene. Still, it is a pity that the tool has been reported to use far more RAM memory when it is idle than other similar messengers.

To conclude, Caprine helps you use Facebook messaging services more comfortably than it would be with the web client. In this respect, its privacy settings are really something to consider when making a decision. The product is fortunately opensource, so it is there for you to use at no cost.