Facebook Inc. launched a desktop version of Messenger for both Windows and macOS today as millions worldwide flood into videoconferencing services during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Messenger app had been previously available only on Android and iOS and desktop users were restricted to accessing the service via their web browser.

In its announcement, Facebook said it has seen a 100% increase in people using their desktop browser for audio and video calling in the last month. The new standalone desktop app is pitched as making it “a little bit easier for people to stay in touch with friends and loved ones during this time.”

The new desktop app allows users to join group video calls on a large screen. It includes support for multitasking in that users can pop in and out of the app while doing other things, notifications for new messages are now standalone, and chats that are synced across mobile and desktop. The desktop app also provides support for Dark Mode and GIFs.

Timing is everything. Although Facebook had probably been developing the app for months or perhaps longer prior to its launch, it comes at an unprecedented time in recent history. Messaging and video conferencing apps surged in popularity in March as states and countries went into lockdown to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Facebook may have seen an increase is users using Messenger but it was nothing compared to the likes of Zoom Video Communications Inc. and Hangouts Meet. Arguably not having a dedicated desktop app may have been holding Messenger back.

The launch of the Messenger desktop app also comes as some companies that are benefiting from the surge in users face various issues. Zoom, which raced to the top of app charts and has ballooned from about 10 million active daily users in December to a peak of more than 200 million in March, has struggled with security issues. Earlier today, Zoom Chief Executive Officer Eric Yuan issued an apology and committed the company to freezing feature development for 90 days to focus on security and privacy issues.

Image: Facebook