Facebook Messenger to stop working on selected smartphones this week

'Using older versions of apps means that experiences won’t work well or sometimes not at all'

Microsoft's mobile operating system is nowhere near as popular as Android or iOS (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)

Facebook is ending support for Messenger on a number of smartphones before the start of April.

The social network has announced that handsets running Windows Phone 8.1 or earlier will no longer have access to its messaging app from this Saturday.

Microsoft’s mobile platform is nowhere near as popular as Android or iOS, and Facebook’s decision comes as little surprise.

Despite also being owned by Microsoft, Skype ended support for the platform earlier this month, following in the footsteps of WhatsApp.

Facebook has started notifying affected smartphone users via email.

“Using older versions of apps means that experiences won’t work well or sometimes not at all,” it wrote in a blog post.

“As a result, we are asking people who are using older versions to upgrade so they can enjoy more of the delightful features of Messenger.”

The company says Windows Phone 8.1 users should update their operating system or switch to Facebook Lite, though the app isn’t currently available in the UK.

Windows Phone 8.1 users will still have access to Facebook through their browser, but won’t be able to message their friends without Messenger.