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Source-backed analysis11

Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

11 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
Messenger logo

Messenger Review

Meta's chat and group video app, with end-to-end encryption by default for personal chats

Editorial Team7.1/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • iOS
  • Android
  • Web
Free · Free
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

Messenger is the natural choice if your friends are already on Facebook: free, highly rated (4.7/5 on the US App Store and Google Play) and end-to-end encrypted by default for personal messages and calls. The trade-offs are tying yourself to Meta's ecosystem, no desktop app and a standalone website Meta announced it would shut, and complaints about support when login problems hit.

Best for: Facebook users who want to message and group-call friends without needing a phone number

Skip it if: People who want to stay out of Meta's ecosystem or need maximum chat privacy

Pros

  • Free; messaging, voice and group video calls, file sharing up to 100 MB, HD photos and shared albums
  • End-to-end encryption by default for personal messages and calls, plus disappearing chats and 15-minute message editing
  • High store ratings: 4.7/5 from more than 13.9 million on the US App Store and 4.7/5 on Google Play (5B+ downloads)

Cons

  • Only 1.4/5 on Trustpilot from 365 reviews, mostly login lockouts, delivery glitches and spam (unclaimed profile, small sample)
  • Windows/Mac desktop apps ended on 15 Dec 2025 and Meta announced messenger.com would shut in April 2026 in favour of facebook.com/messages (the messenger.com homepage still showed a login form on 10 Nov 2026); people without a Facebook account can only use the mobile app
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • 29 interface languages on the App Store (including English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish…), and a dedicated Messenger Help Center

Cons

  • The App Store label lists many data types linked to you; Meta AI chats and business-account messages are not classed as personal messages in the privacy page

Best for

  • Small communities and creators wanting group chats and broadcast channels
  • Anyone wanting end-to-end encrypted and disappearing chats in a mainstream app

Skip it if

  • Desktop-first users who don't want Facebook, since the desktop apps are gone and Meta announced it would shut messenger.com

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What is Messenger?

Messenger is Meta's messaging app, split out from Facebook's chat. Its App Store release dates from 9 August 2011. It lets you message Facebook friends without a phone number and can be used standalone. On Google Play it has 5B+ downloads. On 15 December 2025 Meta ended the Windows and Mac desktop apps and pointed users to the Facebook website; Meta also announced messenger.com would stop working in April 2026, redirecting to facebook.com/messages. People without a Facebook account can only keep chatting in the mobile app.

Key features

The App Store description lists voice and group video calls, text messaging, HD photos, shared albums, file sharing up to 100 MB, QR codes for adding people in person, message editing within 15 minutes, disappearing end-to-end encrypted chats, community groups, creator broadcast channels, Stories and notes that vanish after 24 hours, plus stickers, GIFs and chat themes. Meta AI answers questions, helps with homework and creates or edits images, depending on language and country. From December 2023 Meta began switching on default end-to-end encryption for personal messages and calls; when a chat is upgraded, the app prompts you to set a PIN to restore messages after changing devices.

Pricing and value

Messenger is free with no mandatory paid plan. The US App Store lists avatar items from $0.99 to $10.99 as the only in-app purchases, and the listing says the app contains advertising. For people who only need messaging and group calls, the real cost is personal data rather than money; Meta says it does not use personal message content to personalise ads.

More analysis

Who it's for and how it compares

Messenger suits people already living in Facebook's ecosystem. WhatsApp, also from Meta, is built on phone numbers; Zalo is the familiar pick in Vietnam; Telegram excels at big groups and channels; Signal puts privacy first and is open source. Desktop-first users, or anyone wanting to stay away from Facebook, should weigh that the desktop apps are gone and messenger.com was announced to shut.

Screenshots

Messenger App Store promo image (1 of 3)
Messenger App Store promo image (1 of 3)
Messenger App Store promo image (2 of 3)
Messenger App Store promo image (2 of 3)
Messenger App Store promo image (3 of 3)
Messenger App Store promo image (3 of 3)

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

Messenger (miễn phí / free)

Personal

Free

Free to download and use. On the US App Store the only in-app purchases are avatar items from $0.99 to $10.99. The App Store listing notes the app contains advertising.

Free plan limits
Messaging, voice and group video calls, file sharing up to 100 MB and Meta AI (only in some languages and countries) are all free.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

There is no mandatory paid plan. In-app purchases via the App Store or Google Play are refunded under Apple's or Google's policies; the Messenger pages consulted do not publish a separate refund policy.

Privacy

Messenger's privacy page says personal messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default, so only the sender and recipient can read or hear them, not Meta. The exception is when you or someone in the chat chooses to report or share messages with Meta. Messages sent or received by business accounts, messages exchanged with Meta AI and content in public features such as channels are not personal messages; the page does not say whether Meta AI chats are end-to-end encrypted. Meta says it does not use personal message content to personalise ads. On the downside, the App Store label lists a very long set of data types linked to you (location, contacts, search and browsing history, financial info, health and fitness, sensitive info), some used for third-party advertising and analytics, and Messenger falls under Meta's broader privacy policy.

Messenger alternatives

WhatsApp logo7.4/10

WhatsApp

Free messaging and calling with default end-to-end encryption, used worldwide

Free
Telegram logo7.3/10

Telegram

Cross-platform cloud messaging with 200,000-member groups, channels and bots

Freemium
All alternatives

Frequently asked questions

Is Messenger free?

Yes. Messaging, voice and group video calls are free. The only in-app purchases are avatar items ($0.99–$10.99 on the US App Store), and the app shows ads.

Are Messenger chats end-to-end encrypted?

Yes, for personal messages and calls: Messenger's privacy page says they are end-to-end encrypted by default. Messages with business accounts, messages with Meta AI and public features such as channels are not personal messages.

Do I need a Facebook account to use Messenger?

Not strictly, but under Meta's announcement that messenger.com stops in April 2026, people without a Facebook account can only continue chatting in the Messenger mobile app.

How do I restore messages on a new phone?

When chats are upgraded to end-to-end encryption, the app prompts you to set a PIN for restoring history on another device. A forgotten PIN can be reset, though one Trustpilot reviewer says forgetting it cost them their messages.

Review evidence & sources11

Scores

Ease of use
8.2
Why this score

4.7/5 on the US App Store and Google Play, with sign-in via a Facebook account and no phone number needed. Marked down because Trustpilot reviewers complain about login, verification codes and the PIN for restoring encrypted chats.

Features
7.8
Why this score

The App Store description lists group calls, 100 MB files, QR codes, message editing, disappearing messages, communities, broadcast channels, Stories, notes and Meta AI. Broad, but nothing clearly ahead of dedicated messaging apps, and the desktop apps were dropped in late 2025 while many rivals still offer one.

Value for money
8.5
Why this score

The core is free; in-app purchases are only avatar items at $0.99–$10.99, with no mandatory subscription. The app does carry ads.

Performance
7.5
Why this score

Version 586.0.0 (4 Nov 2026) cites messaging crash fixes and lower latency; the download is 296.9 MB, lighter than the Facebook app. No independent data, and Trustpilot mentions bugs and delayed messages.

Support
5.0
Why this score

A Messenger Help Center covers encryption, PIN recovery, reporting and blocking, plus a Meta AI support assistant. No route to a human agent was found, and Trustpilot reviewers say abuse reports were dismissed and accounts are hard to recover.

Privacy & security
5.5
Why this score

Higher than Facebook thanks to default end-to-end encryption for personal messages and calls (built on the Signal Protocol and Meta's Labyrinth protocol). Held back because Meta can still see reported content, Meta AI chats and business-account messages fall outside that scope, the App Store label is very broad (including health and sensitive info) and data falls under Meta's wider policy.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Headquarters
United States
Launched
2011
Category
Social

Capabilities

  • End-to-end encryption
  • AI features
  • Mobile app

Platforms

  • iOS
  • Android
  • Web

Interface languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Thai
  • Indonesian

Integrations

  • Facebook
  • Meta AI

Support

  • Help center

Change history

  1. Feature.iOS version 586.0.0: messaging crash fixes, lower latency and iOS 26 support.
  2. Update.Meta announces it will shut the messenger.com website in April 2026, redirecting to facebook.com/messages.
  3. Update.Meta discontinues the Messenger apps for Windows and Mac, pointing users to the Facebook website.
Full change history (5)
  1. Feature.Meta announces default end-to-end encryption for personal messages and calls on Messenger (opt-in since 2016), with 15-minute message editing and disappearing messages.
  2. Launch.Messenger is released on the App Store as Facebook's standalone messaging app.
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