Better late than never, right? Facebook is starting to ship its dedicated Messenger for macOS app through the Mac App Store. The desktop messaging software was first spotted last April in a leaked announcement that included a preview.

[Update: Facebook Messenger for Mac is now available globally in the App Store after the initial rollout on March 4, 2020.]

At the time, Facebook was planning to ship Messenger for Mac by the end of 2019. The app is now live, at least in one region, three months after that deadline.

MacGeneration first spotted Facebook’s new Messenger app in the Mac App Store in France, but the app isn’t yet available in all regions yet. Following the French App Store listing in the United States confirms that the software isn’t yet meant for release in America.

Facebook appears to have taken the Slack approach, basing Messenger on Electron and not Mac Catalyst, based on compatibility with macOS versions prior to Catalina.

In the meantime, Facebook does offer Messenger through a web app at messenger.com. The native Mac app will bring its features to a more convenient dedicated window when it launches globally.

This suggests Facebook is using the French market to test Messenger for Mac with users before expanding the rollout to all regions including the United States. We’ll update when Messenger for Mac reaches the United States and more markets. See Messenger where you live? give us a shout.

Update 3/4: Australia, Mexico, and Poland too!

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