Chatting on Facebook Messenger could soon become a lot easier for Mac users.
Facebook has reportedly built a dedicated Mac client for Messenger, according to TechCrunch.
The tech publication shared a photo of what it claims is a spy shot of a Facebook employee using the Messenger Mac app. The image is pretty blurry, but we can see a two-pane interface with contacts listed in the left pane and what is likely the conversation window in the second pane.
TechCrunch’s source said the Mac app has a “navigation tab bar in the bottom left” that “matches the tab bar options in official Messenger for iOS mobile app, including Recent, Groups, People, and Settings.” Facebook Messenger is accessible through a web browser on Messenger.com, but it’s unclear how many people are aware of this; four Mashable tech team members, including yours truly, never use it. We either use the Messenger mobile app or log into Facebook.com.
A standalone desktop app wouldn’t be unprecedented. Facebook released an official Messenger app for Windows in 2012 after the app was leaked. The app was phased out and shut down in 2014.
While Messenger has been its own app for a long time, in 2014 Facebook made it mandatoryfor mobile Facebook users, and in 2015 turned it into a full-fledged platform for third-party developers to add their own features to.That switch has proven to be a smart move; the app now has more than 800 million monthly active users (almost as much as Facebook-owned WhatsApp’s 900 million users).Releasing a dedicated Messenger app for Mac seems like the next logical step. Line, another popular messaging app, has its own Mac app. While it’s not as full-featured as the mobile app, it’s convenient to be able to continue conversations on your laptop without needing to reach for your phone. A Mac Messenger app would also unshackle users from needing to log into Facebook.com and being bombarded by all the junk that usually populates the News Feed.
Facebook hasn’t announced any plans to release a Mac app, but it’s possible we may hear about it at this year’s F8 global developer conference in April.