Tuesday afternoon Facebook introduced their app for mobile phones that acts as a standalone group chat client for mobile operating systems. The app, now live for download, expands the chat features in Facebook’s existing mobile appto include features like location-sharing, mobile photo-sharing, and — most importantly — instant messaging to friends or groups on Facebook. The app is already available for Android and Blackberry phones along with the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad (although the app is not yet optimized for the iPad’s larger screen..   I downloaded this app on my Android mobile phone.  I did all the log in stuff and it works pretty cool.  Although I don’t chat a whole lot I probably won’t use it that much so I can see deleting it to save some space on my mobile phone.  But it is a good app it you like to chat.  Price is free but there is a paid version for $4.21 (CDN)

This new Facebook “Go Chat”shows you a clear overview of your friends in the chat, making it easy to chat with multiple friends without getting confused.  Go! Chat Facebook is a very feature rich application that is actively developed further, which is always good news for the user. It’s already very popular and widely used among many android phone users.

Some of its features include leaving voice messages, automated away messages, the use of smileys, sharing photos etc. Great app if you’re a facebook user.

FEATURES:  chat via facebook, share photos, leave voice messages, easy and secure login, use favorites and much more

Official page for Go! Chat Facebook app

Scan barcode to download

   (how can I use my android phone to scan barcode and download?)

Facebook purchased messaging firm Beluga back in March which Beluga team members have had a hand in the app’s creation. The timing of the release along with its features seems like a fairly direct response to Google+ and its huddles feature that also lets you instantly chat with friends.

Facebook has repeatedly denied that the flurry of recent announcements from the social networking giant and the company’s chat releases, like video calling in partnership with Skype were a response to Google‘s new social network, but the parallels are hard to ignore. With Google+ growing to more than 25 million users in just a little over a month, it’s hard to imagine that Facebook isn’t at least a little threatened.

Google+ released an update to its own app earlier this week that brought increased functionality for the nascent social network’s own chat services along with iPad compatibility.