Did you hear it, right? Of course, you did.
In the next update, Facebook will be merging Messenger with Instagram Direct Message. This update ensures that people can exchange messages through both platforms.
Facebook made a blog post for the announcement. The feature will only be visible if the students merge it. If you wish to keep it separate, you can do so because the update offers the option of keeping the platform separate.
But if you’re updating and agree to the conditions, you will have the same experience with Instagram DMs as you have with Facebook Messenger. As a result, you will get access to features such as customizing chat threads with nicknames, colors, and so on. Also, did we tell you that message forwarding will also be available on Instagram DM post the update?
Success of Vision
The update comes as a success to the vision of CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, of linking all the messaging apps together, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. However, privacy settings and advantages have been provided to the users with the end-to-end encryption that has been active on WhatsApp since 2016.
In one of the posts, Zuckerberg wrote, “We want to give people a choice so they can reach their friends across these networks from whichever app they prefer.” Honestly, none of us should be surprised if someday we see Instagram DMs in our WhatsApp Messenger.
Whatsapp encryption may be tough
The end-to-end encryption feature of WhatsApp may be hard to crack. But, Instagram’s vanish mode isn’t hard to crack. Why?
Using the Vanish Mode, we may delete the message, but the data will still be available at the Facebook data office, or an interloper can also easily grab it. The Vanishing mode will be active. Hence, one may not be able to send messages in vanish mode from one platform to another.
What’s new?
A lot of people are kind of anxious about the merging of these two platforms. However, don’t worry because you may choose not to link the accounts. The update isn’t combining the inboxes. So, there’s no chance of how the platforms will get mixed. The Instagram stand-alone messaging app will remain in that, while the Facebook messenger stand-alone messaging app would remain in the same platform.
Instagram will see the coming in of new features like Watch Together, Selfie stickers, and more. The Vanish Mode will allow the messages to disappear after a certain time. As per the official reports from Facebook, some features will arrive soon on Instagram and later on Messenger.
According to Wired, Facebook plans on updating end-to-end encryption in Instagram DMs too, but there’s very little chance of the platforms getting merged. If the end-to-end encryption feature is true, Facebook might rule out the same for Instagram in a few days.
Talking of this merger as a test, one of the Facebook spokespeople said, “A small set of people were able to update to a new test experience for Instagram messaging. We hope they enjoy the experience, and we are looking forward to testing it in other countries so we can keep learning from this.”
Facebook plans to rule the messaging market by giving a tough competition to Apple’s iMessage. The merger of the apps may bring out fruitful results in Facebook’s success. Facebook purchased Instagram back in 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2019 for $19 billion.