Messenger Desktop Apps Farewell: What You Need to Know about the Shutdown. Get ready for the end of the desktop era and what comes next
- Nov 5, 2025
- 2 min read
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Here’s a curveball: the desktop version of Messenger is being retired. That means if you’ve been using the app on your Windows or Mac machine, it’s time to shift gears. The developer, Meta Platforms, has confirmed that the dedicated desktop apps will be shut down on December 15, 2025.
For many of us, chatting on the desktop has meant convenience: larger screen, full keyboard, maybe multitasking while firing off messages. But Meta says the standalone desktop apps are going away—users will be redirected to the web version (or the mobile app) instead.
You might be thinking: “Why now?” That’s a fair question. Meta hasn’t laid out a full explanation, but what is clear is that the company is nudging users to shift from native desktop apps to browser-based or integrated solutions. And if you’re using the desktop app now, you’ll begin seeing notifications telling you to switch—plus there’s a 60-day window before full deprecation for Mac users.
