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Meta is shutting down Messenger\u2019s stand-alone desktop apps for Windows and Mac on December 15, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Starting December 15, users will no longer be able to log into the apps and will be automatically redirected to the Facebook website to access Messenger.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re using the Messenger desktop apps, you\u2019ll get an in-app notification once the deprecation process begins,\u201d a Messenger help page reads<\/a>. \u201cYou will have 60 days to use the Mac Messenger app before it is fully deprecated. Once the 60 days are over, you\u2019ll be blocked from using the Mac Messenger app. We encourage you to delete the app since it will no longer be usable.\u201d<\/p>\n Meta\u2019s plan to wind down these desktop apps was first spotted by Appleinsider<\/a>.<\/p>\n The company is now alerting users of the upcoming change to give them time to familiarize themselves with other options. For example, Windows users can use the Facebook desktop app, and both Windows and Mac users can access Messenger online.<\/p>\n Meta is encouraging users to activate secure storage and to set up a PIN to save their chat history before moving to the web version. Once users transition to\u00a0Facebook.com, their chat history will be available on all platforms. Users can check if they have secure storage turned on by clicking the settings icon above their profile picture and then selecting Privacy & safety > End-to-end encrypted chats. From there, they need to click \u201cMessage storage\u201d to check if \u201cTurn on secure storage\u201d is turned on.<\/p>\n The move comes a year after Meta replaced the native Messenger app with a Progressive Web App<\/a> back in September 2024. Of course, Meta\u2019s decision to discontinue the desktop apps altogether will likely see some backlash from avid users of the apps. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n