There is some bad news for users who have been using Facebook/Meta Messenger as an SMS app on Android instead of Google Messages or Samsung Messages. Notably, the feature that lets users use Facebook Messenger as an SMS app is going away next month. This feature was introduced in 2016 but is set to depart in September 2023.
Android users are being notified about this change. An official support document from Facebook also confirms that users “will no longer be able to use Messenger to send and receive SMS messages sent by your cellular network when you update your app after September 28, 2023.”
Meta has also advised users to change their phone's default messaging app from Facebook Messenger to Google Messages or Samsung Messages. To switch the default messaging app, head to Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > SMS app and choose a different messaging app. If someone forgets to change the default messaging app before September 28, 2023, it will automatically switch to the phone's default messaging app.
Facebook Messenger allowed users to use it as an SMS app in 2012. However, the feature was dropped in 2013. Facebook (now Meta) re-released the feature in 2016 but kept it separate from the main app. In the official support document, Facebook says that users can access their SMS message history via the phone's new default messaging application.
