Meta has officially confirmed that it will retire the standalone messenger.com web app starting in April 2026. This move marks the final stage of a consolidation effort that began late last year with the discontinuation of native Messenger desktop applications for Windows and Mac. According to a statement on Meta’s official support page, users attempting to access the service via the dedicated URL will be automatically redirected to facebook.com/messages to continue their conversations within the core Facebook ecosystem. The transition aims to streamline Meta’s web offerings, focusing development on a single browser-based interface rather than maintaining multiple standalone portals. While the dedicated website is being phased out, Meta emphasized that the Messenger mobile app for iOS and Android remains fully operational and is now the primary standalone access point. For the subset of users who currently utilize Messenger without a full Facebook account, Meta clarified that their conversations will remain accessible through the mobile application, though browser-based messaging will now require a Facebook login. Despite rumors of a broader shutdown, the core service isn’t going anywhere; Meta is simply bringing the “fast and focused” messaging experience back home to the main Facebook site. [H/T] Phandroid *Cover image credit: Pocket-lintFacebook Will Retire Messenger Web App In April 2026
