Facebook has torn down one of the walls between the DMs of two of its biggest apps, allowing Instagram and Messenger users to send messages across platforms.
With the newly launched update, the company hopes to seamlessly connect friends and family across the two apps, such that users are able to use either app to send messages, as well as join video calls.
The update, which is gradually getting pushed out, will replace direct messages on Instagram with Messenger, and this will be embedded inside the Instagram app.
There will be no need to download the Messenger app separately, as the Facebook app still requires; no need to link your Facebook account, or even have a Facebook account at all.
Instagram users, after the update, will be presented with the option to experience the features on the Facebook Messenger app.
Instagram users who made the update will be able to change chat colour, react to messages with emoji, watch videos together, set messages to disappear, and more. They will also be able to chat with friends and family on Facebook, without having a Facebook account.
Instagram head, Adam Mosseri, and Stan Chudnovsky of Messenger noted that:
“With this update, it will be easier to stay connected without thinking about which app to use to reach your friends and family.”
Facebook expects that Instagram users will be excited about the update, however, as a way of giving users the power to be in control of their privacy, users will be able to switch off the cross-platform feature if they do not want it active.
Last year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined the company’s plans for making messages cross-platform on its various apps, as part of his larger vision for a more private social networking experience.
Although, there is no set date for when the update will be rolled out, a report by TechCrunch says that the update will start getting rolled out to the general public, starting with a handful of countries, before extending to all countries.