Facebook Unifies Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging Experiences

Around a month after Facebook began quietly merging its Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, the transition has been officially launched, with a full rollout to all users soon to follow.

IG Upsell 1UP

As a result of the merging of the chat services, Instagram users can chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform. Features previously only available on Facebook Messenger can now be accessed in Instagram, including colorful chats, more emoji reactions, and swipe-to-reply. In addition, the regular paper airplane DM icon in the top-right corner of the Instagram UI has been replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo.

The move is part of Facebook's long-term plan to merge Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp chat platforms. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly wants all the apps to incorporate WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption and put a new focus on user privacy.

The company hopes that unifying its messaging infrastructure will help to keep its billions of users engaged in the Facebook ecosystem, in an attempt to ward off rival messaging services such as Apple's iMessage.

Last week, Facebook began lobbying Apple for an option to make its Messenger service the default messaging app on iOS, arguing that now users can select a third-party app as the default browser and email app, it is unfair to exclude messaging apps.

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Top Rated Comments

LeadingHeat Avatar
65 months ago
Deleted Instagram yesterday and Facebook has been gone for months. It took a bit of time to adjust (literally found myself opening my phone and swiping on the Home Screen pages mindlessly then locking it again.. scary how addicted you can get to your phone).

It feels so refreshing to get out of social media. I have so much more time in my day now.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TonyC28 Avatar
65 months ago
If I’m Facebook I wouldn’t want my spy algorithms having to work on two different apps. Makes sense to unify them.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
David11 Avatar
65 months ago
If they merge WhatsApp then I’m done
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SaxPlayer Avatar
65 months ago
I massively distrust Facebook but I do use Instagram, hypocrite that I am. The more they force "Facebook" down my throat as an IG user the more I realise that I can't pretend that it's not part of their ecosystem. I see the day approaching when I'll be, reluctantly, deleting IG.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gplusplus Avatar
65 months ago
Forcing intentionally separate accounts together is NOT a move toward user privacy. It’s a move toward better data collection.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jprmercado Avatar
65 months ago
The empire is consolidating itself.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)