Why won't Facebook Messenger work on my Mac?

Quick Answer

Facebook Messenger is not officially supported on Mac computers. However, there are a few workaround options to access Messenger on a Mac:

Use the Facebook website – You can access basic Messenger features through facebook.com in a web browser.
Use a third party app like Messenger for Mac or Franz – These unoffical apps provide more Messenger features.

Use Bootcamp or a Virtual Machine to install Windows – This allows you to run the Windows version of Messenger.

The main reason the official Messenger app is not available for Mac is that Facebook has chosen not to develop a native MacOS version. Facebook focuses its development on the platforms with the most users, which are predominantly mobile iOS and Android.

Accessing Basic Messenger Features on the Facebook Website

While there is no official Messenger app for MacOS, you can access some Messenger features through the Facebook website. Here’s how to use Messenger on Facebook.com:

Open Facebook in any web browser on your Mac and log into your account.
Click on the Messenger icon in the top right. It looks like a speech bubble.
A sidebar will open up with your recent Messenger conversations.

Click on a conversation to open the message thread.
Type and send messages to your contacts as you normally would.

This allows you to have basic text conversations via Facebook’s website. However, the experience is limited compared to the full Messenger app on mobile and Windows. You won’t have access to Messenger features like video/voice calling, group chats, stickers, reactions, and more.

The Facebook website chat also lacks some convenience factors. It only shows one conversation thread at a time, rather than a full messaging inbox. You have to keep re-opening the sidebar to switch between conversations. Overall, it’s usable but not ideal for actively messaging contacts.

Using Third Party Messenger Apps on Mac

To get a better Messenger experience on MacOS, some developers have created third party Messenger apps:

Messenger for Mac

Messenger for Mac is a free app that provides much closer functionality to the official Windows and mobile Messenger apps. Features include:

A full Messenger inbox
Themes and chat colors
Group conversations

Photos and stickers
Message reactions
Typing indicators

Push notifications

The major missing aspects are voice/video calling and some newer Messenger features. But for messaging, it provides a native Mac app experience.

Franz

Franz is a multi-protocol messaging app for Mac and Windows. It supports Facebook Messenger along with services like WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram and more.

Franz combines all chats and messages into one unified inbox. So you can talk to contacts across different platforms.

For Messenger specifically, Franz provides most messaging capabilities including group chats, photos, reactions and more. Video calling is not available.

The main advantage of Franz is being able to access multiple chat apps in one window. The downside is you have to pay a subscription fee after a 14 day free trial.

Using Windows Messenger with Bootcamp or Virtual Machine

Since Facebook does develop an official Windows Messenger desktop app, another option is to install Windows on your Mac. This allows you to then download and run the Windows version of Messenger.

There are two ways to install Windows on a Mac:

Bootcamp

Bootcamp is an Apple utility that enables you to dual-boot Windows directly on your Mac hardware. Here are the steps:

Open Bootcamp Assistant on your Mac.
Partition your hard drive to create Windows storage.
Download Windows ISO and supply it to Bootcamp.

Bootcamp will install Windows on your Mac.
Boot into Windows to install Messenger.

The advantage of Bootcamp is you get native hardware performance when running Windows apps like Messenger. The downside is having to reboot to switch between MacOS and Windows.

Virtual Machine with Parallels or VMWare

Virtual machine software like Parallels and VMWare allow you to open Windows in an application window on your Mac desktop.

To use a virtual Windows machine for Messenger:

Install Parallels or VMWare on your Mac.

Create a new Windows 10 virtual machine.
Install the Messenger app within Windows.
Run the virtual machine to access Messenger.

The benefit of a virtual machine is the ability to seamlessly run Windows and MacOS simultaneously. However, virtualized performance is not as fast as native hardware.

Why is There No Official Messenger for Mac

The ultimate reason there is no native Facebook Messenger app for MacOS is that Facebook has chosen not to develop one.

Some key reasons why Facebook may not have prioritized a Mac Messenger app:

Limited demand – MacOS has a lower market share vs Windows, iOS and Android. Developing for Mac provides less potential users.
Focus on mobile – Facebook concentrated mobile app development for the greatest reach. Mobile access is likely preferred over desktop Messenger by most people today.
Decline of desktop messaging – General consumer move from desktop to mobile messaging makes a desktop Messenger app less crucial.

Resource allocation – Engineering time spent on a Mac app means fewer resources for other platforms.

Essentially, the cost/benefit analysis for Facebook may have determined that a Mac Messenger app was not a priority business requirement.

However, the demand does still exist from Mac users. This has led to unofficial third party apps filling the need. It’s possible Facebook could eventually develop a native app, but there has been no indication so far that it is on their roadmap.

Troubleshooting Tips for Messenger on Mac

When using Messenger workarounds on Mac, you may encounter occasional technical issues. Here are some troubleshooting tips.

Can’t Log Into Messenger

If you’re unable to log into a third party Mac Messenger app, try the following steps:

Make sure you are entering the correct Facebook username and password. Double check that caps lock is not accidentally enabled.

Try manually logging out of the Messenger app completely, then logging back in.
Reset the Mac Messenger app to clear out any corrupted data. In the app menu click Preferences > Advanced > Reset App.
Update your Facebook password if you think your account may have been compromised.

Uninstall and reinstall the Messenger app if other steps don’t resolve the login issue.

Messenger Keeps Crashing

If the Messenger app is crashing frequently, try these steps:

Update the app to see if a newer version is available that fixes crashes.

Disable any plugins or extensions that may conflict with the Messenger app.
Clear the app cache and data by resetting the app in Preferences.
Restart your Mac in case background processes are interfering.

Uninstall and reinstall the app as a last resort.

Features Don’t Work

Some Messenger features rely on desktop browser support. If something isn’t working:

Make sure you have an updated web browser like Chrome or Firefox.

Enable permissions in your browser for the Messenger site (microphone, camera, notifications, etc).
Try using the web version in a different browser or incognito/private window.

You may also need to accept updated terms of service in the App or browser to access new features.

Can’t Send or Receive Messages

If messages are failing to send or not being received:

Check your network connection and restart your router/modem if you are having connection issues.
Temporarily disable any VPN, firewall or internet security software that could be blocking messages.

Log out and back into the app and check if new messages appear.
On mobile, force close the Messenger app and restart it to clear out stuck messages.

Conclusion

While Facebook does not offer an official Messenger app for Mac computers, there are a few different workaround options:

Use the basic web chat capabilities on Facebook.com.
Install a third party Mac app like Messenger for Mac or Franz.
Dual boot or virtualize Windows to run the Windows Messenger app.

Each option has tradeoffs, but does allow access to core Messenger messaging features on MacOS. Specific issues can be troubleshooted by toggling settings, updating software, clearing app data, or reinstalling the app.

Hopefully this guide has provided helpful solutions to use Facebook Messenger on your Mac! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Messenger Option	Platform	Price	Main Features	Limitations
Facebook Website	MacOS/Windows	Free	Web-based chat Easy access	No dedicated app Limited features
Messenger for Mac	MacOS	Free	Dedicated Mac app Persistent conversations Themes and chat colors	No video/voice calling Some missing features
Franz	MacOS/Windows	Free trial, paid subscription	Multi-protocol support Unified inbox	No video calling Subscription cost
Bootcamp	MacOS hardware	Free	Full native Messenger Optimal performance	Requires rebooting Technical setup
Virtual Machine	MacOS	Paid virtualization software	Run Messenger in window Use MacOS simultaneously	Reduced performance Extra software cost