You Can Now Use Facebook Messenger on Desktop

Facebook has launched a standalone Messenger app for PC and Mac. This means that you can now use Messenger on your desktop computer, as long as it’s running Windows or macOS. These desktop apps have arrived nine years after Messenger debuted.

At its 2019 F8 conference, Facebook announced that a Messenger desktop app was in development. One year on, and with demand for messaging apps on the increase, the social network has now launched a Messenger app for Windows and macOS.

How to Use Facebook Messenger on Desktop

Facebook announced Messenger for desktop on About Facebook. Stan Chudnovsky, VP of Messenger, stated that Facebook is launching a desktop app so that “you can video chat on your computer and stay connected with friends and family all over the world.”

New Messenger Desktop App for Group Video Calls and Chats https://t.co/wk1zFyp7tk pic.twitter.com/bLBwRDZ1a3

— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) April 2, 2020

With the populations of lots of countries locked down to prevent the spread of COVID-19 this is more important than ever. And Chudnovsky said that there has been “a 100% increase in people using their desktop browser for audio and video calling on Messenger.”

The Messenger app for Windows and macOS brings everything across from the browser version. This includes group video calls (for up to eight people), notifications for new messages, support for Dark Mode and GIFs, and chats sync across mobile and desktop.

Download: Facebook Messenger on Windows | macOS

COVID-19 Is Changing the Way We Communicate

While Facebook has clearly been planning to launch a Messenger desktop app for a while now, we suspect the current crisis—and the way it has changed how people are communicating—led Facebook to release it early. And without much of a fanfare.

Messenger isn’t the only option available to those keen to keep in touch with loved ones. And many people are choosing Zoom instead. If you’re new to Zoom, here’s how to use Zoom for online meetings. And here’s a list of Zoom keyboard shortcuts.

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