Meta has officially ended Facebook Messenger’s native desktop apps for Mac and Windows. Starting today, December 15, 2025, the apps will no longer be available. Existing users will see prompts directing them to the Facebook website or Messenger.com to continue their conversations.
The apps debuted in April 2020 amid pandemic-fueled remote work, but they lagged behind rivals like Zoom with limits on video call participants, no screen sharing, and clunky URL handling. Meta flagged the shutdown back in October, urging users to back up chats with a PIN before jumping to the web.
Meta’s moves telegraphed the endgame:
- 2023: Started folding Messenger back into the main Facebook app to boost the social network’s sagging engagement.
- Mac evolution: Began as an Electron app, shifted to React Native Desktop, then to Apple’s Catalyst framework, which devs and users alike panned for feeling non-native and adding dev overhead (per a former Meta engineer on Threads).
- Windows: Converted to a progressive web app last year, per Reddit chatter.
These downgrades, combined with Messenger’s reintegration into Facebook, likely tanked demand for a dedicated desktop client. Non-Facebook Messenger users get a smooth redirect to Messenger.com for login-free access.
Meta’s help center has the full transition deets: Mac guide here and Windows guide here.
As Meta doubles down on web and in-app messaging, this killswitch underscores a broader pivot: fewer standalone tools, more ecosystem lock-in.
