On Wednesday, Facebook merges Messenger with Instagram’s Direct Messages. This in short means that people can now, use Instagram Direct to send a message on Messenger and vice versa.
The feature was announced by Facebook in a blog post. However, people can keep their messages separate if they wish to. The new update will give users of Instagram features like messenger. For instance, message forwarding, custom chat colours and nicknames.
Facebook’s merge of Messenger with Instagram Direct will allow users using just one platform to interact with people of the other. In short, people now will not have to make an Instagram account, if they have Facebook Messenger, just to interact with someone on Instagram.
New Features:
Features like vanish mode, watch together and selfie sticker are the new introductions in the merge. However, according to Facebook, these options would first be available for Instagram. Facebook Messenger will get these updates later.
Facebook merges Messenger and Instagram direct with an intention by Mark Zuckerberg of giving choice to people to reach their friends with whichever app they prefer to use. Meanwhile, the end-to-end encryption is kept at stake for the introduction of this feature. End-to-end encryption has been defaulting on Whatsapp since 2016. However, here in India, people now have started doubting the security of this feature. Instagram head, Adam Mosseri, said that end-to-end encryption appears on the company’s road map.
Coming back to the feature, vanish mode’ acts as a timer in the messages. It allows users to make messages disappear after the scheduled time. This feature already exists in the Snapchat App. Moreover, Instagram’s vanish mode will not be end-to-end encrypted. Messenger on the other hand is providing the feature with end-to-end encryption. In conclusion, users will get the feature of vanish mode on both platforms but will not be able to send vanishing messages from one network to another.
Comments on the new feature:
Instagram head said that until now, people used to use Instagram more for sharing pictures than for chatting. This update means to break the stereotype of Instagram as an app for a place to share photos, follow influencers, or shop for clothes, rather than a messaging space.
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