Meta is shutting down Messenger’s standalone website
Source: TechCrunch
Image Credits: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto / Getty Images
February 19, 2026 – 9:01 AM PST
Shutdown Announcement
Meta is shutting down its standalone Messenger website, as announced on a help page. Starting in April 2026, the site will no longer be available. Users who still want to send and receive messages on the web must do so while logged into Facebook.
“After messenger.com goes away, you will be automatically redirected to use facebook.com/messages for messaging on a computer,” the help page reads. “You can continue your conversations there or on the Messenger mobile app.”
If you use Messenger without a Facebook account, you’ll only be able to continue your conversations on the Messenger mobile app. Chat history can be restored on any platform using the PIN set when the backup was first created; if the PIN is forgotten, it can be reset.
User Impact
The change follows Meta’s earlier decision to discontinue Messenger’s stand‑alone desktop apps for Windows and Mac (TechCrunch, Dec 2025). At that time, existing desktop app users were redirected to the Facebook website rather than the Messenger site.
The shutdown was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi. Meta notifies users of the update via a pop‑up message on the Messenger website and app.
Users have taken to social media to express their frustration, with many saying they don’t want to rely on the Facebook website to send and receive Messenger chats on the web—especially those who have deactivated their Facebook accounts.
Background
Messenger began as “Facebook Chat” in 2008, and the standalone Facebook Messenger app launched in 2011. Over the years, Meta positioned Messenger as an independent service, even removing messaging from the main Facebook mobile app in 2014 to drive users to the Messenger app. In 2023, the company reversed course, merging Messenger back into the Facebook app.
While the decision to retire various Messenger platforms is frustrating for users, it allows Meta to reduce costs by maintaining fewer platforms.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.