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Messenger

Free plan

Meta's chat app for messages, group chats and voice or video calls with your Facebook friends and family.

Best for video calls with friends and family who are already on Facebook

Facts checked November 4, 2026 · First written by Mutuo Mbilla

Affiliate link. It does not change our verdict.

The short answer

Messenger, which most people still call Facebook Messenger, suits anyone whose friends and relatives are on Facebook, because you can call them from a chat without swapping phone numbers. Calls cost nothing, video switches to HD over Wi-Fi by default, and noise suppression helps when you call from somewhere loud. It is built for personal chats, so for client calls or scheduled team meetings Zoom or Google Meet is a better fit. Meta's Mac app is no longer in the US Mac App Store, so on a Mac you use Messenger in the browser.

Choose it if

  • Your family and friends already use Facebook and you want to call them without asking for their phone numbers
  • You often miss calls and like leaving a short video or voice message instead, using Record message
  • You share holiday or family photos with a group and want shared albums inside the chat
  • You need to send a Word, PDF or Excel file of up to 100 MB to someone you already chat with

Main features

  • Voice and video calls

    Start a voice or video call from any one-to-one or group chat. Video calls run in HD by default on Wi-Fi, and you can turn on Mobile data for HD video in call settings when you're on cellular.

  • Noise suppression

    Turn on background noise suppression and voice isolation in Messenger's call settings, so the person you're calling hears you rather than the traffic or the TV.

  • Messages after a missed call

    When nobody picks up, tap Record message to leave a voice message after an audio call or a video message after a video call.

  • Calls through Siri

    On an iPhone you can ask Siri to call someone or send a message on Messenger and dictate the text, which helps when you're driving or cooking.

  • Large file sharing

    Send Word, PDF and Excel files of up to 100 MB straight into a chat, alongside photos sent in HD.

  • Edit and unsend

    Fix a typo by editing a message up to 15 minutes after you send it, or unsend a message you didn't mean to send.

  • Encrypted and disappearing messages

    Messenger supports chats encrypted end to end, and you can choose how long those chats stay visible after they've been read.

  • Shared albums

    Collect photos and videos from a trip or a family event into an album that everyone in the group chat can add to and look back on.

  • Meta AI

    Ask Meta's assistant questions or have it create and edit images inside the app. Meta says it is available only in some languages and countries.

  • QR codes

    Add someone you've just met by scanning their Messenger QR code, or share your own as a link.

Pricing

Messenger has no paid plan for personal use, as of November 4, 2026. Your mobile provider may still charge for the data you use.

Messenger

$0

Messages, group chats, voice and video calls, file sharing up to 100 MB, stories and Meta AI where available

Reviews

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Alternatives to Messenger

ProductChoose it instead ifStarts at
WhatsAppThe people you call use WhatsApp, or you want group video calls of up to 32 people and a Mac appFree
Google MeetYou need a meeting link that people outside your Facebook circle can open in a browserFree
ZoomYou host scheduled work meetings, client calls or webinars and need recordingFree
LINEYour friends and family already chat and call on LINEFree

Questions people ask

Is Messenger free?

Yes. The app, messages and voice and video calls cost nothing, and there is no paid plan for personal use. Calls over cellular use your mobile data, which your provider may charge for.

Can I use Messenger on a computer?

Yes. Sign in at messenger.com in a web browser, or install the Messenger listing from the Microsoft Store on Windows, which is a web app. We found no Messenger app in the US Mac App Store on November 4, 2026, so Mac users chat in the browser.

How do I make Messenger video calls HD?

Video calls use HD by default when you're on Wi-Fi. To get HD on cellular, open your call settings and turn on Mobile data for HD video, keeping in mind that it uses more data.

Are Messenger chats encrypted?

Messenger supports chats encrypted end to end, which means only the people in the conversation can read them. In those chats you can also set messages to disappear a set time after they've been read.

Can I edit a message after I send it?

Yes, for up to 15 minutes after you send it. You can also unsend a message if you sent it to the wrong person.

What is the largest file I can send on Messenger?

You can send documents such as Word, PDF and Excel files of up to 100 MB in a chat.

What happens when someone misses my Messenger call?

You can tap Record message to leave them a voice message after an audio call or a video message after a video call, which they'll see in the chat.

Sources we checked 6
  1. apps.apple.com/us/app/messenger/id454638411 for app name, publisher, free price, features, file size and edit limits, encryption, iPhone and iPad support checked November 4, 2026
  2. messenger.com for web sign-in still available checked November 4, 2026
  3. about.fb.com/news/2024/11/introducing-ai-backgrounds-noise-suppression-and-more-messenger-calling for Meta newsroom post of November 20, 2024: HD video calls, noise suppression, recorded messages after missed calls and Siri checked November 4, 2026
  4. play.google.com/store/apps/details for Android app is live, last updated November 3, 2026 checked November 4, 2026
  5. apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrf0083 for Windows listing is a web app; publisher address in Menlo Park, California checked November 4, 2026
  6. itunes.apple.com/lookup for Mac App Store entry for Messenger returns no result checked November 4, 2026