Messenger is a messaging app developed by Meta Platforms, Inc., originally built into Facebook and spun off into a standalone app in 2011, with a major relaunch as a separate product in 2014. It provides one-on-one and group text messaging, voice and video calling, and supports photos, videos, stickers, GIFs, and file sharing. Core features include Messenger Rooms for group video calls, disappearing messages with end-to-end encryption now default for personal chats, Instagram cross-app messaging integration, business chat tools for customer service, and simple games and augmented reality effects within chats.
Messenger is used by individuals for personal communication with Facebook contacts, and increasingly by small businesses for customer support and sales conversations through Messenger-based chatbots and automated replies. Meta has integrated Messenger with Instagram Direct so users can message across both apps from a single inbox in supported regions.
Messenger is available on iOS, Android, and the web, as a standalone site and integrated into Facebook.com. It is free to use, with no subscription tier for individual users; Meta monetizes indirectly through business messaging tools and advertising elsewhere in its app family.