Key points
- Users must switch to Facebook or web
- 60-day grace period before deactivation
- Secure storage needed to save chat history
ISLAMABAD: Meta will discontinue its Messenger desktop applications for both Windows and Mac on 15 December, the company confirmed.
From 16 December, users will need to access Facebook or use Messenger via a web browser to continue their chats on a computer, according to a report by CNET.
The report stated that Meta will send an in-app notification to users once the shutdown process begins. Messenger users will then have a 60-day grace period to continue using the desktop app before it is permanently deactivated.
After this period, users will “be blocked from using the Mac Messenger app,” according to the app’s help page. Meta has urged users to enable secure storage in Messenger to preserve their chat history.
Those who have not yet activated secure storage will need to do so and set up a PIN from their desktop app to back up their conversations. Once secure storage is enabled, chat histories will remain accessible across all platforms after users switch to Facebook.com.
Safety and privacy
Individuals who use Messenger without a Facebook account will be redirected to Messenger.com, where they can still log in independently.
Messenger was separated from Facebook in 2014, as Meta sought to establish it as a standalone messaging platform. The company had also been developing a system to integrate Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging, though the project was shelved in 2023 for undisclosed reasons.
In addition to developing new technologies, Meta has been placing greater emphasis on safety and privacy. In September, it launched its Teen Accounts feature globally — including in Pakistan — designed to create a safer, more age-appropriate experience for younger users by limiting interactions, filtering content, and promoting healthier screen time habits.
