Meta pulls the plug on the Messenger app on the Apple Watch; Users must respond using an iPhone
If you use the Messenger app on your Apple Watch, here’s some bad news for you: Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is killing the Messenger app on the Apple Watch.
According to TechCrunch, Apple Watch users who already have the Messenger app installed will receive notifications saying the app will no longer be available on Apple Watches after May 31st. However, users will continue to receive notifications from Messenger, but must respond to text messages on their iPhone.
A Meta spokesperson, speaking to TechCrunch, said: “People can still receive Messenger notifications on their Apple Watch once they’re paired, but starting in early June, they’ll no longer be able to reply on their watch.”
He added that Meta aims to encrypt messages end-to-end on other platforms, such as the web, desktop and iPhone, so that users can continue to use the app there.
The end of support for the Messenger app on the Apple Watch is proving inconvenient for many users who swear by the app on their wrists because the app works on its own — without the need to connect it to an iPhone.
Boo @meta disappointed #messenger app moving off #applewatch it was a super handy thing. Notifications useless on GSM model watch that needs no phone.— Pete Miller (@millerpete) May 11, 2023
Meta joins a growing list of popular services that have killed their apps on the Apple Watch — including Uber, Twitter, and Slack.
However, the company is bringing native support to WearOS with another messaging app, WhatsApp — and soon Android users can expect to reply to WhatsApp messages right from their wrist.
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