Facebook, Messenger to stop working on these devices

Users need to update their device OS as Facebook, Messenger will no longer support older versions

Facebook and its Messenger app will stop working for some smartphone users by the end of March.

Facebook in a blog said it is ending support for Messenger and Facebook apps for devices running v55 of Facebook app and Messenger v10 on Android, Facebook for iPad v26, Messenger v8 for iOS and Facebook for iOS released on October 10, 2011, and below.

The company said it is also discontinuing support for Facebook for Windows Phone, Messenger for Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 and Facebook for Windows 8 and 8.1 desktop app.



Notifying users about the changes that would take effect from April 1, the social media giant in an email said, “Thank you for choosing to use Messenger. We regret to inform you that since the end of March, the app version you’re using is no longer supported and you can not send and receive messages.”

Defending its decision to end support for older versions of the apps, the company said on its blog, “Our team spends countless hours making it the best way to message your friends and family. One of the ways we continue to improve is by consistently introducing rich features, like voice and video calling, games, and bots for Messenger. Using older versions of apps means that experiences won’t work well or sometimes not at all.”

In order to keep using the Facebook or Messenger app, the users are advised to update their device’s operating system and then update to the latest version of Facebook Messenger or Facebook app.

“To continue to send and receive messages from Facebook on your phone, update your Facebook app to the latest version.”

Messenger is following the footsteps of WhatsApp and Skype in ending support for older versions of Windows phones.



Last year on December 31, WhatsApp cut support for millions of smartphones using outdated operating systems, including iPhone 3GS and other devices running Andriod 2.1, Android 2.2 and Windows Phone 7 operating software. The Facebook-owned messaging platform will also end the support for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian S60 by the end of June, 2017.