Facebook Messenger
Description
Messenger is Meta’s stand-alone instant messaging service, which is available in iOS and Android and via web browsers at messenger.com or facebook.com. The app allows users to send text messages, photos, videos, voice recordings, files, stickers, and GIFs, as well as make one-on-one or group voice and video calls. It has more than one billion monthly active users, making it one of the largest messaging platforms in the world.
Messenger started out as Facebook Chat, a text chat feature added to the Facebook website in April 2008. Facebook split it into its own iOS and Android app in August 2011, after it acquired group messaging service Beluga earlier that year. Since then, Messenger has evolved from a simple messaging platform into a comprehensive communications platform with video calling, artificial intelligence, cross-app messaging with Instagram, and business tools.
The desktop application for Windows and Mac was discontinued on December 15, 2025. Meta said messaging is now consolidated to the Facebook website and the messenger.com web interface. The standalone website of messenger.com is set to close on April 15, 2026, and all messaging will be accessed via the main Facebook website.
PLATFORMS AND ACCESS
Messenger is a native app for iOS and Android. Both versions support the full feature set including messaging, calling, reactions, file sharing, and Meta AI. The iOS app requires iOS 16 or later. The Android app is available on Android 9 and above.
Web access is possible via messenger.com and via the Messages section of facebook.com. The web interface is used for access to all conversations and messaging and basic calling. Users do not need a Facebook account to use Messenger through the main Facebook website — they can log in with just a phone number — but a Facebook account is required to access messenger.com directly.
The app supports multiple accounts, meaning users can switch between different Facebook accounts or phone number-based accounts on the same device without having to log out.
MESSAGING
Messenger supports one-on-one and group text conversations. Messages can contain text, emoji, stickers, GIFs and animated reactions. Users can respond directly to a specific message in a thread, respond to messages with emoji, and forward messages to other conversations.
The app supports message editing after sending to correct mistakes without having to delete and retype. For all participants, deleted messages can be removed for a limited time window after sending.
Audio messages of up to one minute can be recorded and sent in any conversation. These recordings are optionally set to disappear after they are heard.
Users can send files up to 100MB directly from their phone, including documents, spreadsheets, and other formats.
HD photos and videos can be transmitted at full resolution. Messenger also supports photo albums within a chat, allowing users to organize and send groups of photos together instead of sending them individually.
Group chats are supportive of large numbers of participants. Within the group chats, users can tag specific users with the @ symbol, add nicknames, and customize the chat with color themes and a custom emoji that will show for quick reactions in that chat.
VOICE AND VIDEO CALLING
Messenger supports one-on-one and group voice calls and video calls over Wi-Fi and mobile data. Group calls support up to 50 people. Video calls are compatible with augmented reality effects, such as face filters that apply in real-time during a call.
HD video calling with better clarity is supported on all platforms. Background noise suppression helps to reduce ambient noises during calls. AI-powered background replacement allows users to change or blur the background of what is shown behind them during a video call.
Messenger Rooms is a video meeting feature for calls with up to 50 people. Rooms can be created and shared using a link, and there is no requirement to have a Facebook account to join a Room. This makes Rooms usable as a general video meeting tool for groups that include non-Facebook users.
Screen sharing is available during calls in both mobile and desktop web. Call recording is not a built in feature, it is not available within Messenger itself.
END-TO-END ENCRYPTION
In December 2023, Meta finished the rollout of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as the default for all personal one-on-one chats and calls on Messenger. This change was described by Meta as a rebuild of Messenger’s infrastructure from scratch, which took several years. The encryption is based on the Signal Protocol and Meta’s own Labyrinth Protocol.
With E2EE active, the content of messages and calls is protected between the sender’s device and the recipient’s device, and cannot be read by Meta, network providers or third parties — unless a participant chooses to report a message, in which case recent messages in that conversation are forwarded to Meta for review.
End-to-end encryption applies by default to one-on-one personal conversations initiated after the roll out. Group chats do not have E2EE enabled by default and are not end-to-end encrypted at this time. Business and marketplace conversations are also not end-to-end encrypted, because businesses require access to messages for customer service reasons.
End-to-end encryption had existed since 2016 as an opt-in function called Secret Conversations. Secret Conversations still exist and have the same underlying encryption but display the conversation in a separate thread with other features such as message timers for auto-deleting messages.
Read receipt controls give users the option to decide if other people can see when they have read a message. This option is independent of the encryption setting.
Secure storage gives users the option to back up their end-to-end encrypted chat history with a PIN, a 40-character code, or a generated key. This backup can be used to restore the history of conversations when switching to a new device.
DISAPPEARING MESSAGES
Disappearing messages can be turned on in any end-to-end encrypted one-on-one conversation. When active, messages automatically delete 24 hours after they have been read. The feature is only available in E2EE conversations. Messenger warns the sender if a recipient takes a screenshot of a disappearing message.
PRIVACY AND SAFETY CONTROLS
Delivery controls allow users to limit who can send them messages. Options include only letting people on their friends list send them messages or not allowing unsolicited contact from people they don’t know. Requests from unknown senders are sent to a separate message requests folder instead of appearing in the main inbox.
App Lock enables users to require Face ID, Touch ID or a device PIN to access Messenger, providing a layer of access protection beyond the device’s own lock screen. This feature is available for iOS and Android.
Users can block certain contacts and prevent them from sending messages or making calls. Reported conversations are reviewed by Meta whether encryption is active or not; in encrypted conversations, reporting sends a copy of recent messages to Meta for safety review.
META AI INTEGRATION
Meta AI is an AI assistant that is embedded across Messenger, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, based on Meta’s Llama language models. In Messenger, users can access Meta AI through a dedicated chat with the assistant, through a blue circle icon in the app, or by tagging @Meta AI in any group or individual conversation.
When tagged in a conversation, Meta AI replies in the chat. Other people involved in the conversation can view both the query sent to Meta AI and the response. Meta AI only sees the messages sent to it using the @Meta AI tag, other messages in the conversation are not visible to it.
Meta AI can answer general questions, summarize information, help plan events or trips, draft messages, and generate images using text prompts. It has access to real-time web search results in the US.
Starting December 16, 2025, Meta began using conversations with Meta AI to inform ad targeting and personalized content recommendations across Meta’s apps. This data use is for interactions with Meta AI specifically and not private person-to-person messages, which Meta says it doesn’t read. There is no opt-out from this data use for Meta AI conversations other than not using the Meta AI feature.
Meta AI is available in the US and is expanding to other regions, including the UK, Canada, Australia and European countries starting in 2025.
AI STUDIO AND AI CHARACTERS
AI Studio is a feature in Messenger that allows users to interact with AI-powered characters, including those created by businesses, public figures, and individual creators. Each character has a set personality and can converse within Messenger. Users can also create their own AI character for others to interact with, specifying a name, personality, and conversational style.
Business accounts use AI Studio characters to automate customer service conversations in Messenger to provide responses to common inquiries without the need for live staff.
INSTAGRAM CROSS-MESSAGING
Messenger and Instagram Direct Messages are using a shared messaging infrastructure. Users can send messages between Messenger and Instagram Direct from within either app without switching platforms. Messages sent from Instagram will appear in Messenger and vice versa.
This cross-app messaging was released in October 2020 and was fully expanded in September 2021. Users can disable the receipt of cross-app messages from Instagram in their Messenger settings.
GAMES AND WATCH PARTIES
Messenger has an in-app gaming feature that lets users play casual games in conversations. Both players need to be in the same conversation and the game score is shared in the chat thread.
Watch Together lets participants in a Messenger video call to watch Facebook videos, Reels, and other content at the same time. Both the call and the video are played simultaneously, allowing participants to respond and discuss while viewing the same content.
BUSINESS MESSAGING
Businesses with Facebook Pages use Messenger to interact with customers. Messenger for Business offers tools for automated responses to common questions, handoff protocols between chatbots and human agents, and integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems using the Meta Business Suite and third-party platforms.
Automated greeting messages and away messages can be set up to respond immediately to incoming messages even when staff is not available. Message tags and quick reply buttons help to guide customers through structured interactions.
Messenger ads (Click-to-Messenger ads) – these enable businesses to create Facebook or Instagram ads that open a Messenger conversation when clicked on, sending potential customers directly into a chat. Messenger is also available as a placement within Meta’s larger ad system for sponsored messages to existing contacts.
Businesses can receive incoming voice calls through Messenger as a customer contact channel, which has been expanded to more business accounts as of 2025.
MESSENGER KIDS
Messenger Kids is a separate, parent-supervised messaging app for kids under 13. It is connected through a parent’s Facebook account and the parent approves every contact their child can communicate with. The app does not contain ads, does not allow children to make in-app purchases, and prevents contact from people not on the approved list.
Messenger Kids is available on iOS and Android. Its interface is aimed at younger users, with larger text, child-friendly stickers and filters, and simplified controls.
TEEN ACCOUNTS AND SAFETY MEASURES
Users under the age of 18 on Messenger are given additional restrictions and protections. Teen accounts on Messenger have conversation limits that automatically limit who can message them. For users under 16, a parent or guardian must approve changes to these default privacy settings. Meta AI reacts differently to users identified as teens, referring them to expert resources when conversations include sensitive topics such as self-harm, eating disorders or other potentially harmful subjects, and avoiding the type of roleplay content that has led to regulatory scrutiny.
