Starting today, February 27, 2014, Facebook will begin telling users the Facebook messenger app for Windows users will shut down by March 3.
A Windows Facebook Messenger user can expect to see the following: “We’re sorry, but we can no longer support Facebook Messenger for Windows, and it will stop working on March 3, 2014.” It invites you to go to their generic Facebook message to learn more. This app will continue on Android and Apple devices and systems, but just now Windows. Why is that? Just days before this, Microsoft said Facebook Messenger for Windows Phone would be ready and available in a few weeks. Facebook Messenger for Windows was started in November 2011 in it’s experimental phase and released to the public in March 2012. So this app lasted for about two years.
I’m a little disappointed in Windows. They’re shutting this app down on Windows but they’re now announcing it on Windows Phone. You’d think a company as big as Windows could support Facebook Messenger on it’s phone as well as through it’s other systems. Maybe this was Facebook’s call. Who knows? But whoever was behind this made a bad business decision in my opinion. If they’re doing this so more people can get the Windows phone, I think it will backfire and perhaps even drive more people into their competitors’ arms. What’s the real motive behind this move?