So long, Facebook Messenger for Windows, we barely knew ye.


Just days after Microsoft announced the imminent launch of Facebook's messaging app for Windows Phone at Mobile World Congress, the network is ending Windows support for the service on March 3. Facebook Messenger debuted on Windows barely two years ago.


The announcement, which came in the form of a notification to users within the app, was spotted by The Next Web.


fb messenger windows

Its Windows app is disappearing soon, but Facebook is still developing Facebook Messenger for Windows Phone.


"We're sorry, but we can no longer support Facebook Messenger for Windows, and it will stop working on March 3, 2014," the message stated.


The app was well-reviewed, with more than half of its ratings of the 5-star variety. About a million people were using Facebook Messenger for Windows.


Windows users can still access their messages on Facebook.com, but that's not quite as convenient as an app. It's unclear why Facebook is yanking the Windows app at the same time it's developing a Windows Phone app, but it's possible that Facebook is no longer focused on desktop applications for any operating system. Messenger was only available for Windows 7, XP, and Vista users, and as The Next Web noted, FB never even got around to releasing a Messenger app for OS X.


As Facebook continues on its mobile-first trajectory, we should expect more of its desktop services (see: e-mail) to either fade away or transition to smartphone-friendly features.





@Caitlin_McGarry



Caitlin McGarry

Caitlin McGarry Associate Editor, TechHive Follow me on Google+


Caitlin writes about all things social media. She is addicted to the 24-hour news cycle and Mission burritos.

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