Meta will shut down its standalone Messenger website in April 2026, giving users a short time to prepare. Users will be automatically redirected to send and receive messages via Facebook on desktop or continue using the Messenger mobile app.

Those with a Facebook account can keep chatting on the Facebook website or the mobile app, while users without an account will only have access through the app, with the option to restore chat history using their original PIN.

The move follows the closure of Messenger’s standalone desktop apps for Windows and Mac, part of Meta’s effort to reduce costs by maintaining fewer platforms.

Messenger was launched in 2008 as “Facebook Chat,” became a standalone app in 2011, and gradually separated from the main Facebook app before partially reintegrating in 2023.

Some users have expressed frustration on social media, particularly those who prefer not to rely on Facebook’s website or who have deactivated their accounts.