Facebook removing apps from all Microsoft platforms

https://www.techspot.com/news/79505-facebook-killing-off-windows-phone-apps-april-30.html

In a bit of a footnote, the above article also mentions that Facebook’s Windows Store apps (Messenger and Facebook) will be removed from the Microsoft Store as well as their mobile store. This is an interesting choice, since Facebook is clearly one of the most popular apps on MS’s Store platform. While the writing has been on the wall for quite a while now, I think this is just the first of many major app withdrawals from the MS Store in the coming two or so years. I have the app but hardly ever used it, which seems to be the pattern for most Store users.

Thoughts?

Conversation 25 comments

  • wunderbar

    Premium Member
    04 April, 2019 - 3:33 pm

    <p>um… first of many major? I think Facebook might be the last of the many major apps. And it won't be over the course of the next couple years, it'll be this year, since support ends.</p><p><br></p><p>EDIT: also, just to clarify, this is just for the Windows Phone app, it makes no mention of Windows on PC. just Windows Phone.</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      05 April, 2019 - 11:32 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#418334">In reply to wunderbar:</a></em></blockquote><p>We can't expect Facebook to understand the difference. To them "unprotected in plain text on an AWS server" is a "safe and secure" way to handle their users' data.</p><p><br></p><p>They probably don't even know that Windows Phones aren't being manufactured anymore, since least their IT practices don't seem to indicate much between the ears.</p>

  • Fuller1754

    04 April, 2019 - 3:45 pm

    <p>After the Facebook app for Zune HD stopped working, I knew it was only a matter of time. </p>

  • Paul Thurrott

    Premium Member
    04 April, 2019 - 3:47 pm

    <p>Obviously, on Big Windows, Facebook works great on the web.</p>

  • skane2600

    04 April, 2019 - 3:48 pm

    <p>It makes sense. Microsoft's mobile footprint is negligible and accessing Facebook on a Windows desktop browser is a superior choice over the store app.</p><p><br></p>

  • bbold

    04 April, 2019 - 3:53 pm

    <p>The above article mentions Windows Mobile 'Facebook' apps only, not PC apps, correct? That was my takeaway from the article, anyway. You said 'as well as' the mobile store. Go back and re-read it.</p><p><br></p><p>BB</p>

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    04 April, 2019 - 3:55 pm

    <p>I think this only affects Windows Mobile. I don't think Facebook is pulling its Windows 10 apps. I read the linked story, then clicked through to the Engadget story then through to the Windows Central story, and that was my takeaway. If I'm correct then you should probably update your headline. </p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    05 April, 2019 - 12:33 am

    <p>In other news, I've removed Facebook and all its tracking domains from my DNS server.</p>

  • Kevin Costa

    05 April, 2019 - 10:57 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">They should let Windows Phone users use the app at least until December (when it will be EOL), and</span> release a PWA app on the PC Store, replacing that monstrosity awful port that exist today.</p>

    • Dan

      05 April, 2019 - 7:58 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#418500">In reply to Kevin_Costa:</a></em></blockquote><p>All 3 Windows Phone users? Windows Phone users should embrace the present and get a real phone.</p>

      • madthinus

        Premium Member
        06 April, 2019 - 1:21 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#418616">In reply to Dan:</a></em></blockquote><p>Amen Brother</p>

      • Kevin Costa

        06 April, 2019 - 7:53 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#418616">In reply to Dan:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yea, all 3 of them (even WhatsApp still works on 8.1). I use Android, but I understand the struggle of WP users. After December, they have no rights anymore.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    05 April, 2019 - 11:29 am

    <p>So… What they're telling me is that it's time to get everyone I chat with on Messenger to go SMS?</p><p><br></p><p>Roger that! :D</p>

  • bill_russell

    05 April, 2019 - 12:28 pm

    <p>I think if anything PWA's will just reduce the desire to write modern windows desktop native apps (if there was much desire in the first place), but then people will just use the website anyway and there's no need to even "install" the PWA ,which is just another point of friction, and then PWAs lose steam in a few years as the internet platform continues to strengthen in general, leaving the windows store weaker looking than ever.</p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      05 April, 2019 - 1:54 pm

      <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/forums/microsoft/microsoft/thread/facebook-removing-apps-from-all-microsoft-platforms#418536&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to Bill_Russell:</em></a></p><blockquote>. . . just reduce the desire to write modern windows desktop native apps (if there was much desire in the first place) . . .</blockquote><p>If so, non-PWA development outside MS Office, Visual Studio itself, Adobe and Intuit offerings, favorite programming editors and games would be reduced to FOSS which originated under Linux and was just ported to Windows. Windows would still be needed to run the huge assortment of older Win32 software 1+ billion PC users still keep around, but that's seeping away. In a decade, FOSS would be the stuff beyond Office etc that most PC users would run in addition to PWAs, in which case Windows would be a lot less necessary.</p><p>As for PWAs themselves, most (nearly all?) don't require Windows, just a capable browser, but whether a PC were running Windows, Linux, MacOS or anything else with a Chrome browser, would PWAs offer compelling benefits vs running web apps in browser tabs?</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      05 April, 2019 - 5:00 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#418536">In reply to Bill_Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p>Nothing can really stop that movement now. There will be games, utilities, browsers, and first-party software for Windows for years to come, but new Windows applications? </p><p><br></p><p>Shoulda supported UWP devs! That seems like it might have been the last hope for native Windows development.</p>

    • Dan

      05 April, 2019 - 7:56 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#418536">In reply to Bill_Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p>PWA's were all hype and nothing to show. The only people who thought they were the second coming of Jesus were Windows Phone fans and journalists.</p>

  • krishna singh

    05 April, 2019 - 10:08 pm

    <p><span style="background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The above article mentions Windows Mobile 'Facebook' apps only, not PC apps, correct? That was my takeaway from the article, anyway. You said 'as well as' the mobile store. Go back and re-read it.</span></p>

  • ponsaelius

    07 April, 2019 - 10:33 am

    <p>The long slow death of WindowsPhone continues. Everytime you think the wound has healed something comes along to rip off that bandage and expose the raw nerves.</p><p><br></p><p>Fortunately almost no one under 24 knows Microsoft ever built a mobile phone. Many of them don't even own a PC.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      08 April, 2019 - 7:52 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#418885">In reply to ponsaelius:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's not long or slow. It was dead years ago.</p>

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