iWorld
Meta shutters standalone Messenger website from April 2026
Desktop chats redirect to facebook.com/messages, mobile app remains unaffected for web-independent users.
MUMBAI: Messenger’s web independence is signing off proving that even in the digital age, some chats just can’t escape the Facebook family reunion. Meta has confirmed it will pull the plug on messenger.com as a standalone site starting April 2026, automatically redirecting desktop visitors to facebook.com/messages to keep conversations flowing. The update, posted on the company’s help pages and first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, comes with pop-up notifications on both the Messenger site and app.
The change follows Meta’s earlier retirement of the dedicated Messenger desktop apps for Windows and Mac, which already funnelled users to Facebook’s web interface. For those who’ve deactivated their Facebook accounts but still use Messenger via browser, the move shrinks options further leaving only the mobile app as a lifeline. Chat history stays safe through the secure backup PIN process (with a reset option if forgotten), but web access without a Facebook login is effectively over.
This is the latest twist in Messenger’s long identity crisis. Born as Facebook Chat in 2008, it spun off into a standalone app in 2011 and got fully separated from the main Facebook mobile app in 2014 to boost its own adoption. Yet the pendulum has swung back, since 2023, Facebook has been quietly reintegrating Messenger features into its core platform, slowly dissolving the walls between the two.
Meta frames the shift as a streamlining move consolidating messaging under one roof to simplify infrastructure and user experience. But for the corner of users who preferred Messenger’s lighter, less Facebook-tied web version, it’s a step that feels more like consolidation than convenience.
Whether you’re a die-hard desktop chatter or just someone who logs in occasionally, the message is clear: in Meta’s world, going solo online is becoming a relic. From April 2026, if you’re on a computer, expect the redirect and perhaps a gentle nudge back toward the full Facebook fold.
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
