Heads up, Messenger desktop users! Meta’s pulling the plug on the Mac and Windows apps in December 2025. Don’t let your precious chats vanish into the digital ether! Time’s ticking to back them up to your mobile app or Messenger.com. Save those memories before they’re gone for good!
Save Your Messenger Desktop Chats
Picture this: Your entire chat history, vanished in a puff of digital smoke the moment you close your desktop app. Sounds scary, right? That’s exactly what happens if you haven’t activated secure storage. Think of it as the ultimate message backup – a fortress safeguarding your precious conversations and syncing them across all your devices. Already enabled it? Breathe easy. Your chat chronicles are safe and sound. If not, now’s the time to armor up!
Early October brought a jarring alert for desktop Meta users: the app was shutting down. But the shutdown wasn’t the only surprise. A pop-up also appeared, urging users to secure their chats with a PIN, a last-minute scramble to fortify digital conversations.
Your private conversations are now under your control. With end-to-end encryption, your chats live securely on your device, and only move to other devices when you choose. Unlock seamless access across devices using just your PIN, securing your encrypted conversations wherever you go.
You could either follow the prompts from this notification or set it up from the Messenger desktop app.
Unlock your chats anywhere, anytime. Set up a PIN once – on your computer or phone – and your personalized encryption follows you. Log in, enter your PIN, and boom: your secure conversations are instantly synced and ready to go.
Non-encrypted chats? They’re like whispers on the wind, instantly echoing across your devices without a PIN’s protection. But tread carefully with encrypted chats! They vanish like smoke after clearing your browser, logging out of the desktop app, or deleting the app entirely. Consider this your digital vanishing act warning.
Messenger’s desktop app biting the dust? Don’t let your precious chats vanish into the digital ether! Snag your entire conversation history from Facebook – yes, even those messages you thought were long gone. Once you’ve rescued your memories, consider hitting the reset button: delete your Facebook account and explore a world of Messenger alternatives. Your conversations, your control.
Ditch Meta? WhatsApp’s out then. Escape the Zuck’s clutches with these privacy-first messaging apps.
How You Can Still Use Messenger on Desktop
Heads up, Messenger users! Meta’s pulling the plug on its standalone desktop apps for Windows and Mac on December 15, 2025. Consider this your official two-year warning! You won’t find them lurking in the Apple or Microsoft stores anymore either. But don’t freak out – Messenger isn’t vanishing into the digital ether.
The Messenger desktop app is out, but the conversation doesn’t have to end! Keep those connections buzzing through Messenger’s mobile apps or fire up your browser and head to the Facebook or Messenger website.
Need Messenger on your desktop? No problem. Before you dive in, archive those priceless conversations. Then, pick your poison: a dedicated app, your browser, or a clever workaround. Desktop messaging awaits!
Facebook Desktop App
Tired of Facebook constantly nudging you to download their desktop app? There’s a reason for that. While the browser version works, the Facebook desktop app delivers a smoother, more dependable experience for both Facebook and Messenger. Think of it as your Facebook command center, minus the browser clutter. Mac users, however, are left out in the cold. Apple devotees can enjoy dedicated Facebook apps on their iPhones, iPads, and even Apple TVs, but a native Mac app? Still waiting.
Install the Facebook or Messenger PWA
Meta nudged us toward a “website-app hybrid” last year – the Progressive Web App (PWA). Imagine a website and app eloping and having a super-powered baby. Firefox users, rejoice! PWA support is back on the menu.
Access your chats directly from Messenger.com or Facebook.com. The method differs slightly depending on your browser, but both routes unlock your conversations.
Turn your browser into a Messenger powerhouse! On Chrome or any Chromium-based browser, simply head to Messenger.com and sign in. Next, summon the browser’s hidden magic find the three dots (or hamburger menu), then click “Cast, save, and share,” and finally, “Install page as app.” Boom! Instant Messenger app, directly from your browser.
Transform Edge into your instant messaging hub! Launch Messenger.com and sign in. Then, unleash Messenger as a dedicated app in two swift moves: First, dive into Edge’s “…” menu, navigate to “More tools,” then “Apps,” and finally, “Install Messenger.” OR, simply spot the convenient “Add App” icon nestled at the far right of your address bar and click! Chat on!
For Safari, open Messenger.com and login. SelectFile ->Add to Dock. Give it a name and you’re done.
Can I Use the Messenger Desktop App After It Shuts Down?
Heads up, desktop Messenger users! December 15, 2025, marks the end of an era. Meta’s pulling the plug on the Messenger desktop apps, not just letting them fade into digital obscurity. After that date, your beloved app will simply redirect you to Messenger on the web or Facebook. So, prepare to bid farewell and bookmark those URLs!
After the deadline, kiss your desktop Messenger chats goodbye. No Facebook? You’re funneled into mobile Messenger. Facebook user? You’re back on the mothership. And forget about secure storage or backing up those encrypted conversations – the option vanishes faster than a disappearing message.
Thanks for reading How to Save Your Messenger Desktop Chats Before the App Shuts Down
