FACEBOOK bosses have started shutting down the Messenger app on billions of devices.
Meta – which owns Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp – says that you need to act today to save your chats from vanishing.
The social media giant has warned that Messenger is being “deprecated” for both Mac and Windows after December 15.
You’ll still be able to access Messenger via the official website – but if you have the dedicated desktop app, it will disappear after today.
Meta users who try to access Messenger on desktop will be redirected to Facebook.com.
Users without a Facebook account will be redirected to Messenger.com.
This will still let you log in to Messenger on a desktop or laptop without you needing to create a Facebook account.
According to Meta, more than three billion people use Facebook at least once a month around the world.
“The Messenger app for Mac is being deprecated,” Meta explained on a support page for the Mac shutdown.
“After deprecation, you won’t be able to log into this app and will be automatically redirected to use Facebook website for messaging.”
Meta hasn’t revealed exactly why the apps are being shut down, but it’s likely due to lack of use.
Developing and maintaining the apps – as well as keeping them secure from cyber-attacks – costs time and money.
And many desktop and laptop users will simply use the Facebook Messenger website instead.
Meta says that your chat history will be saved “as long as you take the necessary steps“.
“Users who haven’t enabled secure storage in Messenger should turn on secure storage and set up a PIN from their desktop app to save their chat history before moving to the web version,” Meta explained.
“Once you transition to Facebook.com, your chat history will be available on all platforms.”
It only takes a few seconds to see if you have secure storage turned on.
Just go to the Settings icon (a cogwheel) above your profile photo.
Then choose Privacy & Safety > End-To-End Encrypted Chats > Message Storage.
You’ll be able to turn on secure storage there.
The closure affects a vast number of devices. More than 1.4 billion PCs run on Windows globally, with estimates suggesting more than 100 million people use Macs.
WHAT IS FACEBOOK MESSENGER ENCRYPTION?
Here’s Meta’s official explanation…
“End-to-end encrypted messages and calls ensure only you and the people you’re communicating with can see or listen to what is sent, and no one else, not even Meta, can do so,” Facebook explained.
“For reporting and optional features, you or someone in the chat may still choose to share messages with Meta.
“Every device in an end-to-end encrypted conversation has a special key to protect the conversation.
“When you send a message in an end-to-end encrypted conversation, your device locks the message as it’s sending.
“This message can only be unlocked by a device that has one of the keys for that conversation.
“No one can access your messages or calls except the people with the keys.
“You and whoever you’re talking to in end-to-end encrypted conversations are the only people with unique, matching keys.”
Picture Credit: Meta
