Meta is shutting down the standalone Messenger website, messenger.com, in April 2026, redirecting users to facebook.com/messages for web-based messaging, requiring a Facebook login.
The company announced the change in a help page, stating that after the shutdown, users will be automatically redirected to facebook.com/messages. This transition requires users to be logged into Facebook to access their chats on a computer. Individuals who use Messenger without a Facebook account will lose web access entirely. These users can only continue their conversations via the Messenger mobile app.
Meta confirmed that users can restore chat history on any platform using a PIN created during an initial backup. If the PIN is forgotten, users have the option to reset it. This shutdown follows Meta’s recent decision to discontinue standalone Messenger desktop apps for Windows and Mac. Existing desktop app users were previously redirected to the Facebook website rather than the Messenger website.
The change to messenger.com was first identified by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi. Meta is notifying users of the update via pop-up messages on the Messenger website and app. Users have expressed frustration on social media, particularly those who have deactivated their Facebook accounts and do not want to rely on the Facebook website for web messaging.
While the move frustrates some users, Meta’s consolidation of platforms reduces maintenance costs. Messenger originally launched as “Facebook Chat” in 2008. Facebook, now Meta, launched Messenger as a standalone app in 2011. In 2014, the company removed messaging from the main Facebook app to push users toward Messenger. In 2023, Meta reversed this strategy and began merging Messenger back into the Facebook app.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
