Facebook's new desktop client lets you chat with and message friends as well as view updates such as new comments and photo tags without having to be logged on to Facebook.com. Facebook officially launched Facebook Messenger for Windows, a desktop client that lets you chat with and message your Facebook friends, view updates from your friends in the Ticker and receive notifications about actions such as new comments and photo tags. You don’t need to be visiting Facebook.com to use Messenger. The Facebook Messenger for Windows download link first leaked in version 2.0.4373.0 in December. The current version, 2.0.4430.0, requires Windows 7; you cannot yet install Facebook Messenger if you use Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac or other operating systems, though it is available for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry. Facebook says that it is “working on making this app available for more operating systems, so stay tuned.” To download Facebook Messenger for Windows, visit facebook.com/about/messenger. When you download and open Messenger for the first time, you’ll be logged in automatically. After that first time, you’ll need to log in from the app. When you click on messages, notifications or ticker items, you’ll be directed to your browser. If you’re not logged in, you’ll need to do so then in order to view that content. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe [Want more tips, tricks and details on Facebook? Check out CIO.com’s Facebook Bible.] A few other notes on the new release of Facebook Messenger:-You can close the sidebar but still get notifications and chats by clicking the X at the top-right corner. If you don’t see an X, make sure the app is undocked. Note that closing the sidebar will keep you logged in. If you want to log out of the app completely, right click the Facebook icon in your Windows task bar, then click “Log out.” -Your Messenger privacy has the same preferences you’ve set in your privacy settings for your activity on Facebook.com. -You can’t yet chat with a group or place video calls with friends on Messenger, nor can you limit chat availability through the app. These features are still available via your Web browser, though. Kristin Burnham covers consumer technology, social networking and enterprise collaboration for CIO.com. Follow Kristin on Twitter @kmburnham. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter @CIOonline and on Facebook. Email Kristin at kburnham@cio.com Related content opinion The changing face of cybersecurity threats in 2023 Cybersecurity has always been a cat-and-mouse game, but the mice keep getting bigger and are becoming increasingly harder to hunt. By Dipti Parmar Sep 29, 2023 8 mins Cybercrime Security brandpost Should finance organizations bank on Generative AI? Finance and banking organizations are looking at generative AI to support employees and customers across a range of text and numerically-based use cases. By Jay Limbasiya, Global AI, Analytics, & Data Management Business Development, Unstructured Data Solutions, Dell Technologies Sep 29, 2023 5 mins Artificial Intelligence brandpost Embrace the Generative AI revolution: a guide to integrating Generative AI into your operations The CTO of SAP shares his experiences and learnings to provide actionable insights on navigating the GenAI revolution. By Juergen Mueller Sep 29, 2023 4 mins Artificial Intelligence feature 10 most in-demand generative AI skills Gen AI is booming, and companies are scrambling to fill skills gaps by hiring freelancers to make the most of the technology. These are the 10 most sought-after generative AI skills on the market right now. By Sarah K. White Sep 29, 2023 8 mins Hiring Generative AI IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe