KEY POINTS
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is set to shut down its Workplace app, as it doubles down on its focus on metaverse and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Introduced in 2016, the Workplace app functioned as an online collaborative tool, facilitating tasks like instant messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing.
Meta announced the official shutdown date for the app in June 2026, allowing users to use it until August 2025. Although it will cease to be available to the public, Meta intends to repurpose it as an internal messaging platform for its company.
Customers currently using the Workplace app will have the option to transition to Workvivo — an employee communication app acquired by Zoom last year — which Meta has designated as its sole preferred partner for this transition.
This decision aligns with Meta’s intensified focus on metaverse and AI solutions, a strategic shift that also led to the discontinuation of newly introduced non-fungible token (NFT) features on Facebook and Instagram last year.
This strategic shift has been evident over the past decade. Just last month, Meta celebrated a decade of progress in the metaverse, highlighting milestones from the Oculus acquisition to the development of VR and smart glasses technologies.
In recent announcements, Meta revealed plans to expand its Meta Quest VR ecosystem by opening its operating system to third-party hardware manufacturers. Additionally, it aims to venture into the education sector with a new VR product tailored for classrooms, offering teachers access to educational apps and features.
Despite these advancements, Meta has faced challenges. In December, VR headset sales dropped nearly 40% to $664 million in 2023, a substantial decrease from the $1.1 billion recorded in 2022. In February, Meta’s Reality Labs reported over $1 billion in Q4 sales but incurred a significant operating loss of $4.65 billion.
