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Facebook is merging Instagram and Messenger

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© Natee Meepian / Shutterstock

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Facebook dominates the instant messenger market with three major services. Now there are first signs that the merger of two of these services has begun.

As The Verge reports, the first signs of a merger of these services into Instagram were seen last weekend. In Instagram, both for iOS and Android, several users saw a new dialog that pointed to the new chat service in the photo app.

Facebook Merge Instagram Messenger
This note about the new Messenger in Instagram was first seen by users in the past few days. / © The Verge

By enabling the update, users will have access to a colorful design, emoji responses, new gesture controls and the ability to chat with Facebook friends. Users will then be given the choice to activate the update or skip it for now.

When the new chat service is activated, the old chat logo in Instagram is replaced by the Facebook Messenger icon. According to The Verge, the design of the conversations is indeed more colorful, varying between purple and blue. However, it is not yet possible to talk to Facebook contacts.

Facebook Messenger Icon Instagram
The Messenger logo can be found in a familiar place after the update. / © The Verge

WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger: unifying the messaging services

In January 2019 Facebook had confirmed that they were working on linking their own messenger services with each other. This will make it possible in the future to reach users between different apps. It should be noted that the messages will continue to be end-to-end encrypted.

How exactly this will work in the end is not clear yet. The symbol in the new Instagram indicates that one could possibly say goodbye to Instagram's own and much simpler system. So far, it's impossible to say how Facebook's plans will affect the future of the three currently independent and completely separate messenger platforms.

Facebook had acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion. In 2014 the company paid $19 billion for WhatsApp.

Source: The Verge

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3 comments
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  • Goldvin 11
    Goldvin Aug 18, 2020 Link to comment

    Two useless messengers go into one useless. Great

    AsiaSinSorinmarco sarliElfyn


  • 27
    Sorin Aug 18, 2020 Link to comment

    Too late, I've already canceled my Facebook account (for reasons as obvious as possible, n.b.) It is possible that the unification of messaging services is a good thing, I do not realize yet. We'll see in the future.

    marco sarli


  • Rusty H. 33
    Rusty H. Aug 18, 2020 Link to comment

    Who cares? I don't use either one of them. ;)

    marco sarliGoldvinSorin

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