Messenger removes SMS feature
As of September, the feature that allows users to use Facebook Messenger as an SMS application is being removed. This feature was available in 2016 but will be discontinued in September 2023. An official support document from Facebook states that users “will no longer be able to use Messenger to send and receive SMS messages sent by the cellular network when they update the app after September 28, 2023.”
Meta also advises users to change their phone’s default messaging app from Facebook Messenger to Google Messages or another related SMS app. To change the default messaging app, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps > SMS app and select a different messaging app. If you forget to change the default messaging app before September 28, 2023, your phone will automatically switch to the default messaging app.
In 2012 Facebook Messenger allowed users to use the app as an SMS app. However, this feature was removed in 2013 and then re-released as a standalone application in 2016. In its official support document, Facebook says users will also be able to access their SMS history via the phone’s new default messaging app.