Meta is shutting off Photos on Facebook Portal in January 2026 as users see on‑device warnings

Facebook Portal owners are finding new warnings on their devices that Photos will be removed after January 20, 2026, according to multiple reports from the r/FacebookPortal community. The alerts started appearing this week, catching users off guard as they realized one of the device’s last remaining features is getting axed.​

Portal owners are finding new warnings on their devices that Photos will be removed after January 20th, 2026, according to multiple reports from the r/FacebookPortal community. The alerts started appearing this week, catching users off guard as they realized one of the device’s last remaining features is getting axed.​

The writing was already on the wall earlier this year when Meta killed off the Portal mobile app on January 31, 2025. That meant you couldn’t upload new photos anymore, and users had to scramble to download their Portal-stored albums before losing access completely. Around the same time, Meta also removed voice commands for “Hey Portal” and Alexa in January 2025, then stripped out third-party apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Spotify, and Plex by April.​

What made Portal useful was the mix of video calling and photo frame functionality. But as Meta pulled features one by one throughout 2025, the device became less practical. Some users with mobility issues had relied on voice commands for staying in touch with family, and they’ve been vocal about feeling abandoned by Meta’s slow shutdown.​​

Meta’s support page seems to have removed the steps to select and display photos on Portal, but they don’t mention the January 2026 cutoff yet. The company hasn’t officially confirmed the Photos removal, though the on-device notices are pretty clear about what’s happening.

If you’ve been using Portal primarily as a photo frame, now’s the time to look at alternatives. Digital frames from Aura, Skylight, and Nixplay are popular replacements that actually get feature updates instead of removals. The Google Nest Hub Max works well if you’re already using Google Photos, though the screen quality isn’t as sharp as dedicated frames. For budget picks, the Pexar frame offers solid value without requiring a subscription.​

Meta previously said Portal devices can technically be used until February 2032, according to details on Wikipedia. However, the support page that was cited does not seem to have the February 2032 timeline anymore. It was last updated 24 weeks ago.

But at this point, it’s hard to see what you’d actually be using them for once Photos goes away. The device has already lost most of what made it special, and removing the photo frame feature just finishes what Meta started when it discontinued Portal three years ago.