Meta is reportedly killing its Messenger app for Apple Watch at the end of this month. The company is informing users about this impending change through a notification inside its apps.
Despite the axing of the Messenger app for Apple Watch, you’ll continue to receive notifications for new messages. But you cannot reply to them. For that, you’ll have to use the app on your iPhone.
Facebook Messenger bids adieu to Apple Watch on May 31
If you are a heavy Facebook Messenger user and rely on the companion Apple Watch app, its removal will negatively affect your experience. You’ll have to open your iPhone to respond to messages, which can be more time-consuming.
More importantly, with the native app, you can receive messages on your watch even when your iPhone is not paired with the wearable. This won’t be possible once the app is axed.
Meta has not officially announced that it is killing the Messenger app on May 31, 2023. Instead, some users were informed about the app’s removal via a notification on their watch or iPhone.
NOT HAPPY @Apple @messenger #applewatch #wtf pic.twitter.com/B81aK6EUf3
— Amanda Nova (@M_anda_M) May 9, 2023
Well this is some shit pic.twitter.com/ZI9lTJcUu2
— TechTickles. (@TechTickles) May 9, 2023
Why are you guys no longer supporting Apple Watch for messenger? Responding on the watch is so dang convenient. @messenger
— Fix (@ThaFix) May 9, 2023
It is unclear why Meta is killing its Messenger app for watchOS. Seemingly, the company has also not sent out a notification about the app’s demise to all Apple Watch users. Instead, some handful of users have received the message.
Messenger is just one of the many popular apps to have abandoned watchOS. Telegram’s dedicated Apple Watch has also been missing from the App Store since the release of watchOS 9 last year.
watchOS 10 could help boost Apple Watch’s app ecosystem
Rumors indicate that watchOS 10 will pack some major upgrades for first-party apps. It will reportedly be the biggest upgrade to watchOS since its release.
The release will apparently even bring iPhone-like widgets to the Apple Watch. These improvements and a new set of APIs could help Apple attract developers to build apps for the Apple Watch again.
