Insider sources and a leaked photo obtained by TechCrunch hint that Facebook is preparing a desktop version of its Messenger app for OS X, enabling users to chat away from their browser of choice.
On the one hand it would be a rather surprising move considering Mark Zuckerberg and his team have previously launched and then abandoned a standalone Messenger client for Windows.
On the other hand a new bit of software would make perfect sense - Facebook has made no secret of the fact that it wants to turn Messenger into a fully formed platform in its own right, and that could well involve revamped apps as well as new features on the web.
The rise of Messenger
For end users the experience of using Messenger on the web and Messenger on the desktop wouldn't be much different. A Mac OS X app would, however, give Facebook complete control over the appearance and functionality of the program and differentiate it from mobile-only rivals.
From artificial intelligence to video calling, 2015 was a big year for Messenger in terms of new features rolling out and just a few days ago an official Facebook blog post promised some big things to come this year as well.
"There will be more innovative developments to come from Messenger this year," promised Facebook's David Marcus in that post. Starting with a new streamlined Messenger app for Mac, perhaps?
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