The Facebook Messenger featured here on February 18, 2011 was a third-party application from CrispApp. Its pitch was to combine text chat with voice calls to Facebook friends across iPhone, iPod touch and the web. The developer’s name matters when researching this title: this was not a Facebook-developed Messenger release.
What CrispApp announced
CrispApp’s announcement published on the same date described internet-based voice calling, photo sharing and chat history. It also listed push notifications and multitasking support. The app was advertised at $2.99 at launch; that is a historical purchase price, not a current offer.
The announcement described video capabilities as a future addition. That wording is an important boundary: an intended feature should not be presented as something users already received in the February release. The restored account here keeps the launch functionality separate from the developer’s plans.
Watch the original demonstration
The launch announcement linked to the following Facebook Messenger demonstration. The video remains available on iPhoneApplicationList’s YouTube channel, making it a useful primary record of the product being discussed. It is historical footage, so the account flows and service connections shown should not be assumed to work today.
What to check when researching old messaging apps
Start with the developer, the date and the exact app listing rather than the product name alone. Familiar names can be reused, and a later app with a similar title may have a different owner or purpose. For a service-dependent messenger, the client application is also only part of the picture: working sign-in, a reachable service and compatible recipients are necessary for the intended conversation.
This page preserves the original February 18, 2011 article address and its specific CrispApp subject. It documents an early attempt to bring social-network voice calling to the iPhone; it does not offer a working download or claim present-day compatibility.