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Facebook Messenger finally rolling out for Mac

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Facebook Messenger Mac
Facebook Messenger Mac (Image credit: MacGeneration)

What you need to know

  • Facebook has finally started rolling out its Messenger app to macOS.
  • It was first spotted in the French App Store by MacGeneration.
  • There are also reports confirmed in Poland and Australia.

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.

Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9