Facebook Messenger

Meta's messenger for chatting and calling your Facebook friends, with encrypted personal chats.

Visit Facebook Messenger See 5 alternatives

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Facebook Messenger

Messenger is the chat app tied to Facebook accounts. It is the easiest way to reach people you know through Facebook when you don't have their phone number, and it covers text, voice notes, voice and video calls, group chats, shared photo albums, games and Meta AI. Personal chats and calls are now end-to-end encrypted by default, a change Meta finished rolling out after years on an opt-in basis. Business pages also use it heavily for customer messages. The app is free and supported by Meta's wider advertising business. It runs on Android and iPhone; Meta has wound down the separate desktop apps and the standalone messenger.com chat site, so on a computer you now chat through Facebook in a browser. It is a reasonable choice if your social circle lives on Facebook, but people trying to reduce how much Meta knows about them, or who have left Facebook, generally move to Signal or Telegram.

Best for: People whose friends and family mainly keep in touch through Facebook.

What works

Reach Facebook contacts without swapping phone numbers
Personal chats and calls are encrypted by default
Shared albums, games and group video calls built in

Why people leave

Tied to a Facebook account and Meta's data collection
Desktop apps have been retired
Cluttered with AI features and business messages

Top Facebook Messenger alternatives

See all 5

1
WhatsApp
Meta's phone-number messenger, more common for family chats outside the US.
66.5
2
Signal
Encrypted by default with almost no metadata, and no Facebook account involved.
62.6
3
Telegram
Usernames instead of a Facebook profile, plus desktop and web apps that sync instantly.
59.6
4
Apple Messages (iMessage)
If your friends are on iPhones, Apple's built-in app needs no extra account at all.
57.2
5
Snapchat
A camera-first messenger that many younger users prefer for casual chats.
55.3

Why people left Facebook Messenger

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Facebook Messenger: common questions

Is Facebook Messenger free?

Yes, Facebook Messenger is free to use.

Is Facebook Messenger open source?

No, Facebook Messenger is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Signal.

What platforms does Facebook Messenger run on?

Facebook Messenger is available for Web, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to Facebook Messenger?

The highest-ranked Facebook Messenger alternatives right now are WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Facebook Messenger alternatives

Facebook Messenger facts

4 of 4 verified

End-to-end encryption: Personal chats and calls, by default; Checked Oct 25, 2026messenger.com(opens source in a new tab); “Learn more Protect your chats with end-to-end encryption Personal messages and calls on Messenger will be end-to-end encrypted by default.”
Account: Connects with Facebook friends; Checked Oct 25, 2026messenger.com(opens source in a new tab); “Messenger helps you connect with your Facebook friends and family, build your community, and deepen your interests.”
AI assistant: Meta AI built in; Checked Oct 25, 2026messenger.com(opens source in a new tab); “META AI Unleash your imagination Tap into Meta AI as your go-to creative partner to create, edit, animate images, and more.”
Group albums: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026messenger.com(opens source in a new tab); “SHARED ALBUMS Relive the good times Create photo and video albums in group chats to reminisce over life events, themes, and more.”