Meta is discontinuing its standalone Messenger website, as noted on a help page. From April 2026, the website will be unavailable. Users can still use web messaging by logging into Facebook.
“After messenger.com is removed, you’ll be redirected to facebook.com/messages for computer messaging,” the help page mentions. “Continue conversations there or on the Messenger mobile app.”
For those using Messenger without a Facebook account, conversations can continue on the mobile app only. Chat history can be restored with the initial backup PIN; it can be reset if forgotten.
This change follows Meta’s recent shutdown of desktop apps for Windows and Mac, where users were redirected to the Facebook site instead of the Messenger website.
Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi first noticed this change. Meta is alerting users through a notification on the Messenger site and app.
Many users have expressed dissatisfaction on social media, preferring not to depend on Facebook for web Messenger chats, especially if their Facebook accounts are deactivated.
While Meta’s decision frustrates users, it helps the company cut costs by reducing platforms to maintain.
Messenger started as “Facebook Chat” in 2008, with Facebook Messenger launching as a standalone app in 2011. Over time, Messenger became separate from Facebook, and in 2014, Facebook removed messaging from its main app, leading users to Messenger. This was partially reversed in 2023 when Messenger functionality was reintegrated into Facebook.
Meta has yet to comment on the situation.