Meta has announced it will shut down its standalone Messenger website, messenger.com, in April 2026, marking a strategic shift to consolidate its messaging services. Users of the website will be automatically redirected to facebook.com/messages to continue their conversations, integrating the chat function more directly with the main Facebook platform.
The decision follows Meta's discontinuation of the Messenger desktop applications for Windows and Mac in late 2025. This move is seen as part of a broader strategy to simplify its services, reduce operational costs, and move away from its earlier ambitions of creating a fully unified messaging backend across Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct. The Messenger mobile app will remain operational for users, including those without a Facebook account.