tech2 News Staff

Facebook Messenger for Windows Desktop will be shutting down from March 3, according to a report in The Next Web. The report comes within days of Microsoft's announcement that the official Facebook Messenger app will be coming to Windows Phone 8 devices within weeks.

According to the report, Facebook's Messenger app began showing a link saying that it would shut down from March 3. “We’re sorry, but we can no longer support Facebook Messenger for Windows, and it will stop working on March 3, 2014. We really appreciate you using Messenger to reach your friends, and we want to make sure you know that you can keep chatting and view all your messages on http://www.facebook.com,” the message stated at the top of the application.

A Facebook spokesperson also confirmed the same to the website.

Facebook Messenger for Windows was released in March 2012. An OS X version was expected to be launch but given that the Windows version has shut down, it seems unlikely. Facebook is likely to concentrate on Messenger for Windows Phone devices, and other mobile devices, instead of focusing on desktops. Another report on the The Next Web also said that Facebook Messenger for Firefox is also shutting down on March 3.

This isn't the only service to get the axe in Facebook recently. Facebook also announced that it would be killing off the email service @facebook.com admitting that it had failed to take off amongst users.