Meta to shut down Messenger desktop apps for Mac and Windows

Meta is shutting down Messenger’s standalone desktop apps for Windows and Mac on December 15, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday.

Starting December 15, users will no longer be able to log into the apps and will be automatically redirected to the Facebook website to access Messenger.

“If you’re using the Messenger desktop apps, you’ll get an in-app notification once the deprecation process begins,” a Messenger help page reads. “You will have 60 days to use the Mac Messenger app before it is fully deprecated. Once the 60 days are over, you’ll be blocked from using the Mac Messenger app. We encourage you to delete the app since it will no longer be usable.”

Meta’s plan to wind down these desktop apps was first spotted by Appleinsider.

The company is now alerting users of the upcoming change to give them time to familiarize themselves with other options. For example, Windows users can use the Facebook desktop app, and both Windows and Mac users can access Messenger online.

Meta is encouraging users to activate secure storage and to set up a PIN to save their chat history before moving to the web version. Once users transition to Facebook.com, their chat history will be available on all platforms. Users can check if they have secure storage turned on by clicking the settings icon above their profile picture and then selecting “Privacy & safety, and then clicking “End-to-end encrypted chats.” From there, they need to click “Message storage” to check if “Turn on secure storage” is turned on.

The move comes a year after Meta replaced the native Messenger app with a Progressive Web App back in September 2024. Of course, Meta’s decision to discontinue the desktop apps altogether will likely see some backlash from avid users of the apps.

:story: TechCrunch