Facebook announces new Messenger app for Mac and Windows

By Stephen Warwick
published

"Today we're launching a Messenger app for macOS and Windows so you can video chat on your computer and stay connected with friends and family all over the world."

(Image credit: Facebook)

Facebook Messenger Desktop

Source: Facebook (Image credit: Source: Facebook)

What you need to know

  • Facebook has just announced a brand new Messenger app for macOS and Windows.
  • It will enable Facebook users to make video calls from a desktop on their computers.
  • Facebook says it saw a 100% increase in audio and video calling messenger last month.

Facebook has today announced its new Messenger app for Mac and Windows, which will allow users to make video calls from their desktop. In a blog post it stated:

Today we're launching a Messenger app for macOS and Windows so you can video chat on your computer and stay connected with friends and family all over the world.Now more than ever, people are using technology to stay in touch with the people they care about, even when physically apart. Over the past month, we saw more than a 100% increase in people using their desktop browser for audio and video calling on Messenger. Now with apps for macOS and Windows, the best of Messenger is coming to desktop, including unlimited and free group video calls.

Benefits highlighted by Facebook include a larger screen for video calling compared to the mobile app, easy connection with anyone you are friends with on Facebook (no need for emails or phone numbers), multitasking, notifications, chat sync across mobile and desktop, and of course Dark Mode!

The new App is available from both the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab) and the Mac App store (opens in new tab) now. Of course, because this is Facebook messenger, it will also support text chat, just like the mobile version. On macOS, you'll need OS X 10.10.0 or later, Windows users will need Windows 10 version 10240.0 or higher.

13 Comments
  • Just checking but... hasn't this already been available on Windows app store since like 2014?
  • Couldn't give you a date, but yeah... this is new!
  • The app has been available since WP8 and Windows 8 back in 2012, and of course updated in 2014 for Windows 10. Now they have released a new update that bring it up to par with iPad OS and Android devices
  • Nice that it also includes video calling! Now if only the desktop WhatsApp app would do the same.
  • If only they would release a Messenger KIDS app for Windows. I am getting really sick of my son's friends pinging my Android phone hoping to chat with my son while they are off school socially distancing and then I have to hand my phone over to him, so that he can talk to them for hours on end. It makes no sense to me that they would not offer a Windows app or at least browser access for Messenger Kids, so that he can use his Surface Go to chat.
  • Umm the new messenger has been on windows for a couple months... Old article?
  • While it has been available, Facebook is finally announcing it publicly. See their blog post linked which is dated April 2.
  • I've had issues with using Group video in the new app on Surface Pro 4 - it defaults to my rear camera and there doesn't seem to be an option to use front camera. Works fine for 1:1 video call - any ideas?
  • Restart your computer and then talk to Bleached
  • The app has really poor performance. It is quite frustrating to use it on my SP4
  • I just install messenger.com as an app through edge. Works great.
  • It's a good option too but no dark mode but still have the nice sidebar of information and shared documents and photos between each other. I just opened the Edge version and now it's telling me to download the new Messenger app.
  • This is much better and I love it! It's clean and now I don't have to open Facebook to reply to messages.