No, Meta Is Not Shutting Down Messenger, Only Its Standalone Website

Reports circulating on social media claim that Meta is “shutting down Messenger in April 2026.” The confusion stems from Meta’s decision to discontinue Messenger’s standalone website and previously end its desktop apps. Here is what is actually changing and what will continue to work.

Social Media Posts

Some social media users shared that Messenger (or the Messenger website) is shutting down, which may confuse readers about whether they can still access the service.

Source | Archive

Explanation

What Meta Actually Announced

Meta confirmed that its dedicated Messenger website, Messenger.com, will stop supporting messaging from April 2026. According to Meta’s Help Center, users attempting to access Messenger.com will instead be redirected to Facebook’s main messaging interface at https://www.facebook.com/messages.

According to reports from tech outlets, Meta is shutting down Messenger’s standalone website and consolidating messaging into the main Facebook platform. It has been reported that Messenger.com will no longer function independently and that users will be redirected to Facebook.com/messages for web-based messaging. The Messenger website is being retired as part of Meta’s broader service consolidation.

Separately, Meta had already discontinued its standalone Messenger desktop applications for Windows and macOS prior to this announcement. Meta was axing the Messenger app on Mac and Windows, and users were being pushed toward web-based access instead

In short, the shutdown applies specifically to Messenger’s standalone website and previously discontinued desktop applications. It does not apply to the Messenger mobile app.

(Source: TechCrunch, PCMag, TechRadar, TechBuzz, Social Media Today)

What Will Continue to Work

Meta’s official documentation makes clear that Messenger as a service is not being removed. The Messenger mobile applications for Android and iOS remain active and available through their respective app stores.

After April 2026, users will still be able to send and receive messages in the following ways:

• They can use the Messenger mobile app on Android and iOS as usual.
• They can access messages through the main Facebook website at https://www.facebook.com/messages while logged into their Facebook account.
• Existing chats, group conversations, photos, and media will remain accessible through these platforms. Meta’s Help Center explains that users who have set up end-to-end encrypted backups can restore their chat history using their PIN or reset it if necessary.

There is no indication in Meta’s official communications that chats will be deleted as a result of the website’s closure.

Why Meta Is Consolidating Messenger Access

Industry reporting indicates that the move is part of a broader consolidation strategy. Maintaining a standalone messaging website, dedicated desktop applications, and integration within Facebook’s main site requires parallel development and maintenance resources. By centralizing web access to Facebook.com/messages and focusing on the mobile app, Meta reduces operational overhead while keeping the core messaging service intact.

The move represents a consolidation of platforms rather than a shutdown of the Messenger service. Meta appears to be scaling back Messenger’s independence on desktop while maintaining the mobile app and integrating web access more closely with Facebook’s main interface.

Are Messenger Apps Being Removed?

The viral claim that “Messenger is being removed” conflates different platforms. The standalone website Messenger.com will no longer support messaging after April 2026 and will redirect users to Facebook.com/messages. The separate Windows and Mac desktop applications have already been discontinued. However, the Messenger mobile app for Android and iOS continues to function and remains available.

There is no official announcement stating that the Messenger mobile application will stop working, nor is there any credible reporting indicating that the entire Messenger service is being shut down.