Meta to Shut Down Facebook's Messenger App by April 2026; Messaging on Desktop To Shift to New Access Point

New Delhi:  Meta has announced that it will shut down its standalone Messenger website and desktop app by April 2026. The company shared the update in a help page, confirming that Messenger.com will no longer be available for messaging and that users will be redirected to a new access point for conversations on desktop.

Messenger was first introduced as a separate service in 2011, spun out of Facebook’s built‑in chat feature. Over the years, it became one of the most widely used messaging platforms, offering text, voice, and video communication, as well as integrations with businesses and payments. The standalone website, Messenger.com, gave users a way to chat outside of the main Facebook interface, while the desktop app provided a dedicated experience for computer users.

With the shutdown, Meta is consolidating its messaging services back into Facebook. The company stated that after Messenger.com goes offline, users will be automatically redirected to Facebook.com/messages when accessing conversations on a computer. Mobile users can continue using the Messenger app on iOS and Android, which will remain available.

Meta also clarified that people who use Messenger without a Facebook account will still be able to continue their conversations through the mobile app. In addition, users can restore their chat history on any platform using their PIN, ensuring that past conversations remain accessible despite the transition.

The move reflects Meta’s broader strategy of streamlining its platforms and reducing redundancy across its ecosystem. Messenger’s standalone website and desktop app once offered independence from Facebook, but the company has increasingly focused on tighter integration across its services, including Instagram and WhatsApp. 

For users, the change means that while Messenger as a brand will continue on mobile, its standalone presence on desktop will soon be history. By April 2026, messaging on computers will shift entirely to Facebook.com/messages, marking the end of Messenger.com as a separate destination.

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