Meta Retires Messenger Desktop Apps After Five Years
Accounts linked to Facebook are
redirected to Facebook.com to
access messages, while users who use Messenger without a Facebook account are
sent to Messenger.com.
The shutdown follows prior in-app
notices. When Meta began the deprecation process, users were informed they had
about 60 days before the desktop clients would stop functioning. The apps have
since been removed from the Mac App Store and are no longer available for new
installations.
Messenger on mobile, both iOS and
Android, continues to operate without changes.
What
Desktop Users Need to Do
For users who relied on the desktop
app, the most immediate issue is chat history. Some end-to-end encrypted
conversations stored locally on the desktop client may not automatically
transfer to other platforms.
Meta is advising users to enable Secure Storage and create a PIN to
ensure encrypted chats remain accessible after the transition.
The process is handled within Messenger:
- Open Settings
- Navigate to Privacy & Safety
- Select End-to-End Encrypted Chats
- Enable Secure Storage
Once this is set up, chat history
should sync across devices, including the web version.
A Move Away From Native Desktop Messaging
The closure of the desktop apps
reflects a longer shift in Meta’s approach to messaging on computers. Messenger
was separated from Facebook’s core app in 2014, and for years it was available
across phones, tablets, and desktops.
Desktop usage, however, never
reached the same scale as mobile. Over time, technical changes such as
increased reliance on web-based technologies signalled that native desktop
clients were no longer a priority. With the shutdown now complete, web browsers
have become the primary desktop access point for Messenger.
Some users have voiced frustration
online, particularly those who preferred a dedicated app for group chats or who
used Messenger independently of Facebook. For users who deactivated Facebook
but continued using Messenger, the removal of the desktop app eliminates a
familiar workflow.
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What Remains Available
Messenger itself is not being
discontinued. The service remains fully available on mobile devices and through
web browsers. Only the native desktop applications have been retired.
Meta has not offered a detailed
explanation beyond notices published on its help pages. For desktop users, the
next steps are clear: follow the in-app guidance, back up encrypted
conversations if necessary, and use the browser-based version going forward.
For now, Meta’s messaging efforts
appear focused on mobile and web platforms rather than standalone desktop
software.
