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Image Credits:Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto / Getty Images11:15 AM PDT · October 16, 2025
Meta is shutting down Messenger’s standalone desktop apps for Windows and Mac connected December 15, the institution confirmed to TechCrunch connected Thursday.
Starting December 15, users volition nary longer beryllium capable to log into the apps and volition beryllium automatically redirected to the Facebook website to entree Messenger.
“If you’re utilizing the Messenger desktop apps, you’ll get an in-app notification erstwhile the deprecation process begins,” a Messenger help leafage reads. “You volition person 60 days to usage the Mac Messenger app earlier it is afloat deprecated. Once the 60 days are over, you’ll beryllium blocked from utilizing the Mac Messenger app. We promote you to delete the app since it volition nary longer beryllium usable.”
Meta’s program to upwind down these desktop apps was archetypal spotted by Appleinsider.
The institution is present alerting users of the upcoming alteration to springiness them clip to familiarize themselves with different options. For example, Windows users tin usage the Facebook desktop app, and some Windows and Mac users tin entree Messenger online.
Meta is encouraging users to activate unafraid retention and to acceptable up a PIN to prevention their chat past earlier moving to the web version. Once users modulation to Facebook.com, their chat past volition beryllium disposable connected each platforms. Users tin cheque if they person unafraid retention turned connected by clicking the settings icon supra their illustration representation and past selecting “Privacy & safety, and past clicking “End-to-end encrypted chats.” From there, they request to click “Message storage” to cheque if “Turn connected unafraid storage” is turned on.
The determination comes a twelvemonth aft Meta replaced the autochthonal Messenger app with a Progressive Web App backmost successful September 2024. Of course, Meta’s determination to discontinue the desktop apps altogether volition apt spot immoderate backlash from avid users of the apps.
Aisha is simply a user quality newsman astatine TechCrunch. Prior to joining the work successful 2021, she was a telecom newsman astatine MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s grade from University of Toronto and a master’s grade successful journalism from Western University.
You tin interaction oregon verify outreach from Aisha by emailing aisha@techcrunch.com oregon via encrypted connection astatine aisha_malik.01 connected Signal.
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