Meta is shutting down Messenger’s standalone website
Summary
Meta is shutting down messenger.com in April 2026, redirecting web users to Facebook for messaging. Those without Facebook accounts can only use the mobile app.
Meta is shutting down messenger.com
Meta is shutting down its standalone Messenger website, messenger.com. The company confirmed the change in a help page, stating the site will be unavailable starting in April 2026.
After that date, users will be automatically redirected to facebook.com/messages to chat on a computer. The change was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.
Users must use Facebook or the mobile app
If you want to send and receive messages on the web after April 2026, you must be logged into Facebook. The standalone web portal will no longer function.
For users who message without a Facebook account, the only option will be the Messenger mobile app. Meta is notifying users of the update via a pop-up message on the website and in the app.
How to restore your chat history
Users can move their conversation history to the new platform. This requires the PIN they created when they first set up a backup in Messenger.
If you cannot remember your PIN, you can reset it. Your existing conversations will be accessible on facebook.com/messages or the mobile app after the transition.
Users are frustrated by the change
The announcement has sparked frustration on social media. Many users do not want to rely on the Facebook website, particularly those who have deactivated their Facebook accounts.
This move follows Meta's recent shutdown of its standalone Messenger desktop apps for Windows and Mac. At that time, the company was already redirecting desktop app users to Facebook's website instead of messenger.com.
A strategic shift to cut costs
While frustrating for users, shutting down platforms allows Meta to reduce operational costs. It leaves the company with fewer distinct applications to maintain and update.
This represents a reversal of Meta's earlier strategy. Key moments in Messenger's history include:
- Launched as Facebook Chat in 2008.
- Became a standalone app in 2011.
- Messaging was removed from Facebook's main mobile app in 2014 to force adoption of Messenger.
- Meta began merging Messenger back into the main Facebook app in 2023.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the website shutdown.
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