Meta has officially announced that it will close the standalone website for Facebook Messenger, making it unavailable to users starting in April 2026.
The decision comes as part of the company’s strategy to streamline its services, reduce the number of platforms requiring maintenance, and focus on integrated messaging services within Facebook and the Messenger mobile app.
Users who wish to send and receive messages via the web will still be able to access their conversations by logging into their accounts on Facebook’s main website.
Those who use Messenger without a Facebook account will continue to access their chats exclusively through the Messenger mobile application.
According to a report by TechCrunch, users will be able to restore their chat history on any platform using the personal identification number (PIN) created when they first enabled chat backups. If the PIN is forgotten, it can be reset.
The move follows Meta’s recent shutdown of standalone Messenger desktop applications for Windows and Mac. In recent months, users of the desktop app had already been redirected to Facebook’s website to continue messaging instead of using the independent Messenger site.
The company has gradually shifted toward reintegrating Messenger into Facebook. While Messenger was initially launched as “Facebook Chat” in 2008 and later released as a standalone app in 2011, Meta began reversing that separation in 2023 by reintegrating messaging features back into the main Facebook app.
Some Messenger users have expressed frustration on social media, particularly those who prefer not to rely on Facebook’s website for messaging or who have deactivated their Facebook accounts.
Despite the criticism, the move is expected to reduce operational costs for Meta by consolidating platforms and focusing on delivering a more unified experience across its core applications.
Follow the latest news on Google News
