Facebook Messenger to lose support on Apple Watch on May 31

Another major app is dropping full support for the Apple Watch, with Facebook now alerting users that Facebook Messenger will no longer be available as an Apple Watch app.

Apple Watch has seen many developers drop support for the flagship wearable over the years. A number of high-profile app makers, including Google Maps, Amazon, eBay, Slack, and Target have chosen to pull their standalone Apple Watch apps.

Now, Facebook Messenger is doing the same.

Reddit user dark_arcader received a notification that Facebook would no longer offer a standalone Apple Watch app for its Facebook Messenger app. The notification reads:

"After May 31st, Messenger won't be available as an Apple Watch app, but you can still get Messenger notifications on your watch."

Some Redditors in the thread bemoaned the decision. Others pointed out that it was likely done to cut expenses and save resources in development.

In 2019, Pokemon Go dropped Apple Watch support ahead of watchOS 6, stating the decision was because of the launch of Adventure Sync in October 2018.

16 Comments

Cesar Battistini Maziero 402 comments · 8 Years

About 1 year ago

Apple needs to fix this ASAP, basically all major apps have dropped out.

And fix WhatsApp on the iPad as well, the only reason all elders on my family use android tablets is because of WhatsApp, the cellular iPad, should be able to make calls and have a number associated with it.

jbdragon 2312 comments · 10 Years

Just another reason to not use Facebook Messanger. In fact, just another good reason to get away from Facebook altogether!!!

urahara 733 comments · 13 Years

Cesar Battistini Maziero said:

Apple needs to fix this ASAP, basically all major apps have dropped out.
And fix WhatsApp on the iPad as well, the only reason all elders on my family use android tablets is because of WhatsApp, the cellular iPad, should be able to make calls and have a number associated with it.

I don’t understand. What exactly Apple needs to fix?

As for the WhatsApp on iPad - isn’t it a WhatsApp choice that they don’t allow to verify iPad app using the phone (SMS is sent to the phone, and you enter the code on the iPad, confirming that you have access to the phone number). It works this way with another popular messaging/call app - Viber. Herr, think of Skype - it works on iPhone and iPad. Why can’t WhatsApp do the same?

eightzero 3145 comments · 14 Years

AppleInsider said:

...but you can still get Messenger notifications on your watch."

Eh. This is about all I care for. Not need, not want. I don't "need" anything from FB, and it is a constant battle to convince myself to dump it. There's entertainment value in it, but it comes at a price.