Facebook launched a web version of its standalone Messenger app, letting users chat with their Facebook friends via Messenger.com.

It is already available for English speaking users and will launch for other languages in the coming weeks.

The layout is fairly simple – old chats are listed in a left-hand column, with the rest of the window reserved for an active chat, with buttons to add users, or make video or audio calls.

Last month, Facebook began rolling out out a new payment method in the US in the via its Messenger to “give people a more convenient and secure way to send or receive money between friends.”

Users who are able to use the payments feature on their phone will also be able to do so on the web version.

The ability to message friends within the Facebook website will stay, and the reason for the new platform was to provide a way for users to chat without the distractions of a news feed and other Facebook activity, a spokesperson told Re/code.

Whatsapp, acquired by Facebook last year, also has a web version, although unlike Messenger.com, the Whatsapp version is a companion to the smartphone app, rather than being fully standalone. It also does not support iOS users.

CEO Mark Zuckerbeg also introduced the Messenger Platform last month, which allows developers to “help people connect with the more than 600 million people who are using Messenger as they communicate every day.”

The executive noted that while there are numerous possibilities for development, the intention is to “start small”. This means enabling content from third-party apps to be shared via Messenger – a move that will also enable the company to maintain its relevance as a social platform.