Meta to Shut Independent Messenger Website
Meta will close its standalone Messenger website in April 2026, requiring users to send and receive messages through Facebook or the mobile app.
Meta announced it will shut down its independent Messenger website in April 2026, ending web-based messaging without logging into Facebook.
Users without Facebook accounts can continue messaging only through the Messenger mobile app, using backup PINs to restore chat histories across platforms. PIN resets remain available.
This decision follows the earlier discontinuation of Messenger desktop apps for Windows and Mac, which redirected users to Facebook’s website for web messaging.
The closure was first spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi, an app reverse engineer, and Meta has also notified users via pop-up alerts on both web and mobile platforms.
Messenger, launched as Facebook Chat in 2008 and made independent in 2011, allowed web and mobile messaging separate from Facebook’s main app.
In 2023, Meta reintegrated Messenger into the main Facebook app to simplify access, aiming to consolidate messaging platforms and reduce maintenance costs.
Experts say this move helps Meta cut costs while focusing development on mobile and Facebook web versions, though many users voiced frustration over the forced reliance on Facebook accounts.
Despite complaints, Meta maintains the transition supports a streamlined messaging experience, centralizing functionality and maintaining continuity for millions of users worldwide.
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