Khaberni - The original Messenger application for Mac and Windows operating systems, owned by Meta, is no longer available to users starting Monday, December 15, 2025, and current users are being directed to the website to continue using the popular messaging service.
Despite launching at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the desktop Messenger application was not able to accommodate a large number of participants in video calls compared to business-oriented competitors like Zoom, nor did it offer screen sharing or easy link sharing features.
The diminishing importance of the app for Meta was evident long before the company announced its discontinuation plans last October, according to a report by "TechCrunch," a site specializing in technology news,
Messenger History
The Facebook Messenger app was originally known as "Facebook Chat" in 2008 before it was renamed. It soon became available on various different platforms, thanks to Facebook's acquisition of the group messaging service "Beluga" in 2011, which led to the launch of the iOS app version.
In 2014, Facebook began separating Messenger from its main website, forcing users to download a separate Messenger app for their mobile platforms. Around the same time, an iPad version of the app was launched.
Mac device users were forced to use iPhones or iPads to run the app, or continue using it via a browser, until 2020. In March of that year, coinciding with the outbreak of COVID-19, Facebook made the macOS version of the app available for download from the Mac App Store.
In 2023, Meta started integrating Messenger back into the Facebook app, as Meta was trying to compensate for the decreased usage of its former main social network.
The closure of the app itself in 2025 means that the Facebook Messenger for macOS didn't last more than five years. This is a very short time, considering that "Facebook Chat" had been around for 17 years, and the iPhone and iPad apps had appeared for 14 and 10 years, respectively.
On Windows, the Messenger app transitioned to an advanced web application last year.
App Discontinuation
This fall, Meta warned users that the desktop Messenger app would be discontinued by the end of the year and urged them to set up a "PIN" to save their chat history before transitioning to the web.
After the app's discontinuation, Messenger users who do not have a Facebook account are redirected to "Messenger.com," where they will be able to log in without creating a Facebook account.
