Big shock! Messenger website to be shut down by April 2026, here's Meta's new plan

Facebook Messenger: Meta has made a major decision, announcing the closure of Messenger's independent website. After April 2026, users will no longer be able to chat via messenger.com.

Facebook Messenger: Meta has made a major decision, announcing the closure of Messenger's independent website. After April 2026, users will no longer be able to chat via messenger.com. According to the company's help page update, all web conversations will now take place directly through Facebook's platform.

Web users will shift directly to Facebook

After April 2026, anyone who opens messenger.com will be automatically redirected to facebook.com/messages. This means that Facebook's web interface will be required to continue chatting on desktop. However, the Messenger app will continue to function as before for mobile users.

Those who have deactivated their Facebook accounts but used the web version of Messenger will find their options limited. Such users will now be able to continue their conversations only through the mobile app. Backups can be restored using the PIN created to protect chat history, and the option to reset the PIN will also be available in case they forget it.

Desktop Apps Have Been Discontinued Before

This move is not sudden. The company previously discontinued separate Messenger desktop apps for Windows and Mac. At that time, desktop users were redirected to Facebook's web interface, signaling that Messenger's independent website could also be discontinued in the future.

This change was first shared by tech reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi. Now, the company is informing users of this through pop-up notifications on the website and app.

Strategy to Bring the Messaging Service to a Single Platform

Messenger launched in 2008 as Facebook Chat. It was introduced as a separate app in 2011, and in 2014, the messaging feature was removed from the main Facebook app, encouraging users to adopt the dedicated Messenger app.

But in recent years, the strategy appears to have shifted. Starting in 2023, Facebook began integrating Messenger features back into its main app. The decision to shut down the website is now seen as part of a broader strategy to unify its messaging system.

However, many users have expressed displeasure with this change, especially those who have closed their Facebook accounts but used Messenger Web. For them, this move may feel more like an inconvenience than a convenience.