Messenger For Windows Desktop Stopped Working

Stigg · Nov 25, 2024

Messenger suddenly stopped working yesterday for no apparent reason.
I couldn't get it to work, so I opted for an easy solution and restored a system image.
When I rebooted after restoring the system image, Messenger briefly started then closed, which means I still have the same issue.

I did some research, and it appears that it's been replaced with a web app.
There are a few threads about it on Reddit, and they're all complaining about it.

Going to the Messenger For Windows Desktop App page directs me to the Microsoft Store.

Download Messenger for PC/Mac – text, audio and video calls

Group audio and video calls, unlimited messaging and more now on desktop! Be together whenever with our free all-in-one communication app.

www.messenger.com

Does anyone else here use Messenger For Windows Desktop?
Have you been affected yet? What is your solution?

Fabler2 · Nov 25, 2024

Stigg said:
Messenger suddenly stopped working yesterday for no apparent reason.
I couldn't get it to work, so I opted for an easy solution and restored a system image.
When I rebooted after restoring the system image, Messenger briefly started then closed, which means I still have the same issue.

I did some research, and it appears that it's been replaced with a web app.
There are a few threads about it on Reddit, and they're all complaining about it.

Going to the Messenger For Windows Desktop App page directs me to the Microsoft Store.

Download Messenger for PC/Mac – text, audio and video calls

Group audio and video calls, unlimited messaging and more now on desktop! Be together whenever with our free all-in-one communication app.

www.messenger.com

Does anyone else here use Messenger For Windows Desktop?
Have you been affected yet? What is your solution?

Yup. That's the time it was dropped in Widgets same as Calendar. To get it to work in Edge (to get notifications I have the app opening on start and minimised on taskbar. That's to get notifications. I also have it open in Edge in a pinned tab. That's the only way I've found to get reliable notifications. Total BS

From the app to open in Edge so to pin it.

Stigg · Nov 25, 2024

@Fabler2
So, is that the Microsoft Store app that you have running?
The comments (sorted by Most Recent) are scathing.

Fabler2 · Nov 25, 2024

Stigg said:
@Fabler2
So, is that the Microsoft Store app that you have running?
The comments (sorted by Most Recent) are scathing.

Yes, that's the only app/software now available. I didn't want to be dependent just on the phone so got it to work on the PC somewhat on my laptop.

Stigg · Nov 25, 2024

Fabler2 said:
Yes, that's the only app/software now available. I didn't want to be dependent just on the phone so got it to work on the PC somewhat on my laptop.

Did you leave the desktop app installed or uninstall it?
I saw a comment somewhere that they may reverse the decision, but I doubt it.

Fabler2 · Nov 25, 2024

Stigg said:
Did you leave the desktop app installed or uninstall it?
I saw a comment somewhere that they may reverse the decision, but I doubt it.

Can't remember though I just noticed the change when it disappeared from Widgets. Think it was removed automatically and got replaced by the crap app.

Stigg · Nov 25, 2024

I mainly use Telegram. It's much better. But there are some people that only use Messenger.

Stigg · Nov 25, 2024

I am looking at Beeper as a possible better option than using the crippled Facebook Messenger web app.

Beeper — All your chats in one app. Yes, really.

A single app to chat on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and 11 other chat networks. You can search, snooze, or archive messages. And with a unified inbox, you’ll never miss a message again.

www.beeper.com

What is Beeper?

Beeper is a universal chat app. With Beeper, you can send and receive messages to friends, family and colleagues on 14 different chat networks, all from a single app.

Which networks can be used in Beeper?

Beeper Supports:
- WhatsApp
- Facebook Messenger
- Twitter
- Android SMS
- Google Messages (SMS/RCS)
- Telegram
- Signal
- Matrix
- Slack
- Google Chat
- Instagram
- IRC (Libera.chat)
- Discord
- LinkedIn

OAT · Nov 26, 2024

Stigg said:
I am looking at Beeper as a possible better option than using the crippled Facebook Messenger web app.

Beeper — All your chats in one app. Yes, really.

A single app to chat on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and 11 other chat networks. You can search, snooze, or archive messages. And with a unified inbox, you’ll never miss a message again.

www.beeper.com

Rambox does the same and is free.

BrianInEngland · Nov 26, 2024

It's a pathetic Web app now, it used to be really good.
Now I just get Messenger notifications from Phone Link and then open the browser.

App was removed the day it became a Web app

Fabler2 · Nov 26, 2024

Just for interest this is what shows in installed apps but even a search (Everything) doesn't find messenger 1.0. So they removed it without permission.

OAT · Nov 26, 2024

BrianInEngland said:
It's a pathetic Web app now, it used to be really good.
Now I just get Messenger notifications from Phone Link and then open the browser.

App was removed the day it became a Web app

Yes, I also liked the Messenger widget, it was the only worthy feature.

Stigg · Nov 26, 2024

BrianInEngland said:
It's a pathetic Web app now, it used to be really good.
Now I just get Messenger notifications from Phone Link and then open the browser.

App was removed the day it became a Web app

You can still use the web Messenger and sign into Messenger with your own choice of browser. It's just as good as the new app.

Messenger

Hang out wherever, whenever! Messenger makes it easy and fun to stay close to your favourite people.

www.messenger.com

Almighty1 · Dec 2, 2024

Fabler2 said:
Just for interest this is what shows in installed apps but even a search (Everything) doesn't find messenger 1.0. So they removed it without permission.

View attachment 117659

This is what mines shows:

Not sure why I have two entries for the new web app, not sure if it's because I went to messenger.com in Edge Canary and then installed as app before I removed it or not.

I didn't do anything other than to let it open on it's own which does it in Edge Stable and not Edge Canary which I would have preferred:

The one on the left does not work any longer, probably stopped working last week as before, cancel would allow it to load as that was the actual Desktop app which looks like this now:

The one on the right seems to have notifications but it keeps going into the overflow menu with the three dots.

The original app did not support chats from Facebook groups and also, it will not allow uploading or pasting images and says upload failed unless one either logs out and logs in again or use the clear cache which was added in newer versions as a workaround to the problem which seems to basically reload the browser. There was another issue with the original app where if I wanted to view the Profile information of the person I am chatting, it will always open up Facebook app in Windows Subsystem for Android instead of using the browser although in newer builds, it would still go through WSA first and then open up it in the Windows default browser.

@Fabler2 - How did you make it minimize on start?

Almighty1 · Dec 2, 2024

Stigg said:
You can still use the web Messenger and sign into Messenger with your own choice of browser. It's just as good as the new app.

Messenger

Hang out wherever, whenever! Messenger makes it easy and fun to stay close to your favourite people.

www.messenger.com

The only bad part about that is there is no way to see notifications unless you were already in the browser itself.

Fabler2 · Dec 2, 2024

Almighty1 said:
@Fabler2 - How did you make it minimize on start?

Can't get the App to start minimised.
Tried removing one of the Messenger listing in Installed apps but one is for Edge and the other is for the app. What a crock of

OAT · Dec 2, 2024

Fabler2 said:
Can't get the App to start minimised.

Yep. This is a big oversight.

Almighty1 · Dec 3, 2024

I wonder, is there really a difference between Messenger installed from the Microsoft Store vs with any browser, just going to messenger.com and then install page as app because it seems to be the same thing other than maybe not having the icon in the task bar.

OAT · Dec 3, 2024

Almighty1 said:
I wonder, is there really a difference between Messenger installed from the Microsoft Store vs with any browser, just going to messenger.com and then install page as app because it seems to be the same thing other than maybe not having the icon in the task bar.

The differences are slight, like the addition of the top navigation bar in the App, a dedicated icon & a splash screen logo, otherwise
the browser does most of the work through the msedge_proxy.exe which can be launched directly as well via a URL shortcut:
Of course, if edge is not your browser of choice, it will launch like any other site.

Code:

https://www.messenger.com/?ref=homescreenpwa&amp;__pwa=1

Messenger

Hang out wherever, whenever! Messenger makes it easy and fun to stay close to your favourite people.

www.messenger.com

As one can see in the code, there isn't much there:

Code:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\FACEBOOK.317180B0BB486_2250.0.0.0_neutral_split.scale-125_8xx8rvfyw5nnt

Almighty1 · Dec 3, 2024

Thanks @OAT - I think in the Reddit threads, someone mentioned one can have the Messenger app open in Chrome instead of Edge. I remember last week, I tried it in Edge Canary, I basically opened the same link Messenger and then installed as app and I had a window with everything you mentioned, not sure about the splash screen which is in Edge Stable where the app is installed.

Actually, I just tried it in Chrome and basically copied the link from going to the three dots menu -> More Tools -> Copy Link and pasted it in Chrome, then install page as web app, it asked to pin to task bar. I closed the window and then opened it again from the apps menu in Chrome and it does show the splash screen before this screen, the bottom prompt is when installing as web app in Chrome:

The logo in the taskbar is the same as the one in the lower right corner of the screenshot above and it appears to not have the notification with the circle of how many unread messages there are. The title bar adds a back button and a refresh button and it still shows the name of the person or group.

Left to right is Messenger Desktop App, Messenger App from Store that uses Edge Stable and Installed as web app on Chrome using the link from Messenger app from Store but seems to be missing the # of unread messages.

Messenger For Windows Desktop Stopped Working

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Pragmatic Member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Similar threads