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Meta’s own Help Center now says the Messenger desktop app for Windows is no longer available.
Messenger for Windows, the desktop app from Meta that used to be on the Microsoft Store, has been retired. Meta shut down the Windows and Mac apps on December 15, 2025, and now tells computer users to open messenger.com in a web browser instead.
The good news is that you can still chat from your PC. Install messenger.com as an app in Microsoft Edge or Chrome and you get Messenger back in its own window, with a taskbar icon. It takes about a minute.
The Messenger phone apps for iPhone and Android are not affected. Your chats are tied to your account, so they are still there when you log in on the web.
This guide covers what happened to the app, how to use Messenger on Windows now, how to get it back in its own window, and how to keep your encrypted chat history. Questions? Reach out to us directly.
What Happened to the Messenger App for Windows?
Meta discontinued the standalone Messenger desktop apps for Windows and Mac on December 15, 2025. Meta did not give a public reason. Its Help Center now says the desktop app is no longer available and points everyone on a computer to messenger.com.
The Microsoft Store listing is still there, but you cannot install from it. It shows “This product is unavailable in your market” and the Download button is greyed out.
Avoid “Messenger for PC” downloads from other sites. Meta no longer makes a Windows installer, so any download claiming to be the Messenger desktop app is not from Meta.
How to Use Messenger on Windows Now
This is the route Meta itself recommends. It works in Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox or any other current browser.
1 Open messenger.com in your browser.
2 Log in with the email or phone number and password for your account. Tick Keep me signed in on your own PC.
3 If Messenger asks for your PIN, enter it to bring back your end-to-end encrypted chat history. More on that below.
4 Allow notifications, camera and microphone when your browser asks, so you hear new messages and calls work.
Get Messenger Back in Its Own Window
Most people miss the old app for one reason: it lived on the taskbar, away from browser tabs. Edge and Chrome can install any website as an app, and messenger.com works well this way. These steps come from Microsoft’s and Google’s own help pages.
In Microsoft Edge
1 Open messenger.com and log in.
2 Click the three-dot menu (Settings and more) at the top right.
3 Choose More tools, then Apps, then Install this site as an app.
In Google Chrome
1 Open messenger.com and log in.
2 Click the three-dot menu (More) at the top right.
3 Choose Cast, save, and share, then Install page as app.
Messenger then opens in its own window. Right-click its icon on the taskbar and choose Pin to taskbar to keep it there. In Edge, you can manage or remove installed sites from the edge://apps page (Microsoft Support); in Chrome, see Google Chrome Help.
Your Options for Messenger on a PC
Our take
Installing messenger.com as an app in Edge is the closest thing to the old desktop app, and it is what we would set up on any Windows PC today. It keeps Messenger out of your browser tabs and stays up to date on its own, because it is Meta’s live website. If you mainly message family, it is also worth asking them about WhatsApp, Meta’s other chat app, which still has a full Windows app.
Keep Your Encrypted Chat History
Many Messenger chats are end-to-end encrypted, which means your history is stored in an encrypted backup that only you can unlock. When you log in on messenger.com, Messenger may ask for your PIN to restore that history.
Know your PIN
Find or set your PIN in the Messenger phone app first. Meta can’t reset a forgotten PIN for you; you have to reset it on a device where you created or already entered it. Details are on Meta’s PIN restore page.
One-time codes do not come to a PC
If you forget the PIN, Messenger can send a one-time code instead, but only to the Messenger app on a phone where you used it recently. Keep your phone nearby the first time you log in on the web.
Common Problems and Fixes
The old Messenger app will not open
It has been retired, so it will not be fixed or updated. Uninstall it from Windows Settings, under Apps, then Installed apps, and use messenger.com or install it as an app in Edge.
You do not hear new messages
Allow notifications for messenger.com when your browser asks. Then check Windows Settings, System, Notifications, and make sure Edge or Chrome is allowed to notify you.
Your older chats are missing
Encrypted chats come back once you enter your Messenger PIN. If you do not have one, set it in the phone app first, then log in on the web again.
The Store says the app is unavailable
That is expected. Meta no longer offers Messenger on the Microsoft Store. Use messenger.com instead.
Chat Apps That Still Have a Windows App
If you want a real desktop program for messaging, these still have one. Each links to our full Windows guide.
Meta’s other messenger. The free Windows app does chats, group calls with up to 32 people and screen sharing, linked to your phone.
Signal
A free, privacy-focused messenger with a desktop app that links to your phone.
Telegram Desktop
A full Windows app that syncs your chats from the cloud and keeps working without your phone nearby.
Discord
Free voice, video and text chat built around servers, with a Windows app and drop-in voice channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Messenger desktop app still available for Windows?
Why can’t I download Messenger from the Microsoft Store?
Will I lose my Messenger chats?
How do I get a Messenger icon on my taskbar again?
Is there a Messenger app for Windows from another website?
Support and Community
- Messenger, Meta’s own Messenger site, where you log in on a computer.
- Messenger Help Center: Download or update your Messenger app, Meta’s note that the desktop app is no longer available.
- Microsoft Support: Install apps in Microsoft Edge, for installing messenger.com as an app.
- r/facebook on Reddit, a large user-run community where Messenger questions come up often.
More Windows software guides: WhatsApp for Windows · Facebook for Windows · Instagram for Windows · Signal for Windows · Telegram Desktop · Discord for Windows
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