Overview
- Meta says the standalone Messenger website will become unavailable starting in April 2026.
- After the shutdown, desktop messaging will redirect to facebook.com/messages, which requires a Facebook login for web use.
- The Messenger apps on iOS and Android remain available for sending and receiving messages.
- Users who access Messenger without a Facebook account will no longer have web access and will need to use the mobile app.
- Chat history can be restored with a Messenger backup PIN, and Meta is notifying users via pop-ups after the change was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.