Chatpane
Chatpane for Messenger / Mac
Updated November 2026
A Messenger desktop app for Mac
Meta's Messenger app for Mac stopped working on December 15, 2025, and messenger.com now redirects to Facebook. Here is what still works on a Mac, and how to get your chats back in a window of their own.
Free and open source · Apple Silicon and Intel · macOS 10.15 or later
The short answer
There is no official Messenger app for Mac anymore. Meta now sends Mac users to facebook.com/messages in the browser.
If you want a real Mac app instead, Chatpane for Messenger (formerly Carrier) is a free, open-source app that opens that same page in its own window, hides the rest of Facebook, and adds native notifications and a Dock badge. It is unofficial and not made by Meta.
What happened to Messenger for Mac
Meta announced in October 2025 that it would retire its Messenger desktop apps, pulled the Mac app from the Mac App Store, and shut it down on December 15, 2025. Opening it after that pointed you to the Facebook website. In April 2026 Meta also retired messenger.com, so the browser route now goes through facebook.com/messages, inside Facebook. The full timeline has the details and sources.
If you used Messenger without a Facebook account, desktop access ended with messenger.com. Meta says those accounts can keep chatting in the mobile app. Every Mac option below, Chatpane included, needs an account that can sign in at facebook.com.
Your options
Ways to use Messenger on a Mac
Compare
Mac options side by side
| Chatpane | Safari web app | Messenger Next | Caprine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shows only your chats | Yes | No, all of Facebook | Yes | Built for messenger.com |
| Mac download | 4.1 MB | Built in | 10.1 MB | 102.9 MB |
| Built on | macOS WebKit | Safari | macOS WebKit | Electron (bundled Chromium) |
| Source code | Open (MIT) | Not applicable | Closed | Open (MIT) |
| Latest release | November 2026 | Not applicable | September 2026 | January 2026 |
From each project's latest release on GitHub, checked November 8, 2026. Sizes are the Apple Silicon .dmg files.
Chatpane on the Mac
Chatpane opens the real Messenger, the same one from your browser, so calls, group chats, reactions, photos and your full history are all there and stay in sync with your phone. On a Mac it adds:
- Only Messenger. Facebook's Feed, Reels, Marketplace and global search are hidden, and the window buttons sit over the chat list instead of a title bar.
- Notifications like Messages. Native notifications show the sender's face, and you can reply, react, mark as read or mute without opening the app.
- Dock and menu bar. An unread count on the Dock icon, recent conversations in the Dock menu, and an optional menu bar only mode.
- Keyboard first.
⌘1to⌘9jump to conversations,⌘Ksearches, and an optional⌘⇧Mhotkey shows or hides Chatpane from anywhere. - Privacy. Hide that you're typing, hide names and avatars for screen sharing, and block Facebook's analytics requests (on by default).
- Your look. Light, dark or system appearance, nine built-in themes, an accent color and four app icons.
How to install it
- Download the Apple Silicon .dmg, or the Intel .dmg for an older Intel Mac.
- Open it and drag Chatpane into your Applications folder. It is notarized by Apple, so macOS only shows its usual first-launch check for downloaded apps.
- Launch Chatpane and sign in with your usual Facebook account. Your chats appear right away.
Prefer Homebrew? Run brew install --cask kristofferR/tap/chatpane. Chatpane checks for signed updates and shows the release notes before you install one.
FAQ
Mac questions
Is Chatpane in the Mac App Store?
No. You download it from GitHub or install it with Homebrew. The app is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple, and its complete source code is public.
Does it work on Intel Macs and older macOS versions?
Yes. There are separate downloads for Apple Silicon and Intel, and Chatpane supports macOS 10.15 Catalina and later.
Do voice and video calls work?
Yes. Calls open in their own window, and macOS asks for camera and microphone access the first time, as it does for any app.
Can I sign in with a Messenger-only account?
Not on any desktop app. Chatpane loads facebook.com/messages, and since April 2026 Meta only lets Messenger-only accounts chat in the mobile app.
I used Carrier. Do I need to do anything?
No. Chatpane is the new name for Carrier. The built-in updater renames Carrier.app to Chatpane.app, and your settings and login carry over. Homebrew users get the new chatpane cask with their next upgrade.
Is Chatpane made by Meta?
No. Chatpane for Messenger is an unofficial, independent project, not affiliated with Meta. Your messages still go through Messenger itself, so Meta's terms apply there. Chatpane adds no tracking of its own.
Get Chatpane for Mac
Free and open source. About 4 MB, signed and notarized.
Older Intel Mac? Intel .dmg
Or brew install --cask kristofferR/tap/chatpane · Windows and Linux