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Facebook's Merging of Instagram and Messenger Chats Gets Underway

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Facebook's long-term plan to integrate Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp chat platforms appeared to kick into gear over the weekend as Instagram users in the U.S. were notified of a "new way to message" on the photo-sharing social network that merges the app's chat feature with Facebook Messenger.

instamessenger.jpg
Image via The Verge​

As a result of the merging of the chat services, the change means Instagram users will be able to chat with Facebook users and vice versa. After the update is applied, some features previously only available on Facebook Messenger can 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 is replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo, and the Messenger features noted above are applied.

messenger-instagram.jpg
Image via The Verge​

However, as The Verge notes, it's still not possible to message Facebook users from Instagram, but unification is clearly the plan, as Facebook explained back in January 2019.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly wants all the apps to incorporate end-to-end encryption, like WhatsApp does now. When the unification is complete, the services will continue to operate as their own standalone apps, but the company's work will make them interoperable with one another.

Ultimately, by stitching the apps' infrastructure together, Zuckerberg seeks to increase keep their billions of users highly engaged inside the Facebook ecosystem, in an attempt to ward off rival texting apps like Apple's iMessage.

Article Link: Facebook's Merging of Instagram and Messenger Chats Gets Underway
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/08/17/facebook-merging-instagram-messenger-chats/
I get the sneaky feeling just as the merge completes everyone’s messages between the platforms (regardless of just using 1 or all 3) will be open to the public for a brief time.

unification of the platforms shouldn’t be the answer to end to end encryption for all.
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einsteinbqat said:
Probably so they don’t get broken apart (by gov’t).
Click to expand...

that’s what I’m thinking as well.
 
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vicviper789 said:
The human instrumentality project is upon us!

But seriously though, i hope they don’t kill off whatspp...
Click to expand...
Kill off how? I just hope they don't infest it with ads, I don't have an issue if they merge it with FB messenger/IG as long as it remains encrypted and I can control who can msg me (i.e. keep to contacts only).
 
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If I ever get prompts to create a Facebook account when I want to WhatsApp anyone, im out.

Seems a far ways off though.

Already deleted the app a few times, but always get dragged back in by people who use it only.

I may start being a little more pushy to get some of my contacts onto Telegram or Signal now.
 
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good they have realized so many redundant social media systems
more integration = less confusion
 
omg what a terrible idea. the reason i like instagram is because it is still seperate from Facepoop. i avoid facebook messenger like the plague. theres messages from three years ago that i haven't opened yet. the last thing i personally want is for their messaging systems to merge. ten thumbs down👎
 
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How is this going to work?

Facebook is a platform where you're required to use your real name; it's meant for interacting mostly with people you know in real life.

Instagram is a platform where you can use a handle and it's meant for interacting with people on the Internet at large. A large percentage of Instagram users want to keep their real name/identity a secret.

It seems merging the two is a recipe for disaster. Instagram users are not going to want to use their real names on Facebook, and there will be privacy concerns going in the other direction too.
 
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chrixxa said:
omg what a terrible idea. the reason i like instagram is because it is still seperate from Facepoop. i avoid facebook messenger like the plague. theres messages from three years ago that i haven't opened yet. the last thing i personally want is for their messaging systems to merge. ten thumbs down👎
Click to expand...
Haha. You naïve little thing. You realize facebook OWNS instgram, right? Which means, they aren't really separate. You just think they are.
 
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R3k said:
If I ever get prompts to create a Facebook account when I want to WhatsApp anyone, im out.

Seems a far ways off though.

Already deleted the app a few times, but always get dragged back in by people who use it only.

I may start being a little more pushy to get some of my contacts onto Telegram or Signal now.
Click to expand...
How do you group contacts into those who contact you by text (sms or iMessage) vs Telegram/ Signal/ Whats App/ Facebook etc.
Seems like a lot of different platforms to keep track of.
Personally, the only people who message me on social networks are people who I don't actually know and are just friends on that particular social network. Everyone who actually knows me texts or calls using my phone number.
 
Integration isn’t always ideal. For example, a person may use Instagram chat that is more light on conversations and surface level, but use messenger like SMS for more intimate conversations. Integration limits the user in public settings to minimize view time of message threads; If I’m at work, I’m not opening messenger because all the different types of thread subjects I have (work related included). Instagram is okay.

You see my point?
 
AmazingTechGeek said:
Integration isn’t always ideal. For example, a person may use Instagram chat that is more light on conversations and surface level, but use messenger like SMS for more intimate conversations. Integration limits the user in public settings to minimize view time of message threads; If I’m at work, I’m not opening messenger because all the different types of thread subjects I have (work related included). Instagram is okay.

You see my point?
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly.
This is why I always have difficulty setting up new apple products, because they always want me to login to iMessage and iCloud everywhere. But most of my devices aren't my primary device and therefore don't get logged into these things. iMessage for me is only on my iPhone, not my iPad, 2 MBPs, or 3 Mac Minis.

But Apple tries just as hard as Facebook to make you "connected" no matter what you're doing.
 
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