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According to recent reports, Meta has announced that Facebook Messenger’s Apple Watch app will be discontinued at the end of this month, which will end the ability for users to reply to messages on the service from their wrist.
Users have shared posts on social media carrying a screenshot of a notification sent to a handful of users in recent days, informing them that Messenger won’t be available as an Apple Watch app after May 31. However, users would continue to get Messenger notifications on their watch.
A Meta spokesperson gave a statement when asked for clarification by Reviewgeek, saying, “People can still receive Messenger notifications on their Apple Watch when paired, but starting at the end of May, they will no longer be able to respond from their watch. But they can continue using Messenger on their iPhone, desktop and the web.”
The app was introduced in 2015 and allowed users to send voice clips, Likes, stickers, and more without having to open the corresponding smartphone app. However, Meta did not give a reason for its decision to sunset its Messenger app for Apple Watch.
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Some users on Facebook suggested it could be because allowing users to respond to messages on their wrist reduced the amount of screen time spent in Messenger on their smartphone. Nonetheless, the app joins a long line of other third-party services that have pulled watchOS development over the last few years, either due to perceived redundancy or lack of user uptake.
Other notable Apple Watch apps that have been discontinued include Twitter, Instagram, Target, Trello, Slack, Hulu, and Uber.
