Facebook Messenger finally rolling out for Mac

Facebook has finally begun the rollout of its Facebook Messenger app for macOS.

As reported by MacGeneration:

The Mac App Store finally distributes Facebook Messenger (at least in France, its deployment does not yet seem general). The social network had announced the preparation of this complete application last spring, at its developers conference.

As the report notes, the macOS version of the app was made using Electron, not Catalyst, which means the app will be available on previous versions of macOS, rather than just Catalina. The app features the same messaging functions as the iOS version, as well as integrated notifications and dark mode. Just now, automatic enabling of dark mode doesn't seem to work.

As several Twitter users have reported, the app has also appeared in macOS App Stores in Poland, Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia. UK and US App Stores aren't currently showing it, suggesting a gradual rollout.

Facebook announced Messenger apps for both macOS and Windows way back in April of 2019 at F8 stating:

People want to seamlessly message from any device, and sometimes they just want a little more space to share and connect with the people they care about most. You can download Messenger Desktop — and enjoy the same features as the app on your phone — like group video calls, collaborate on projects or multi-task while chatting in Messenger. We are testing this now and will roll it out globally later this year.

As you'll have guessed, Facebook did not make the "later this year" deadline, but better late than never.