Facebook is now adding unified chat between Messenger and Instagram

Facebook has been testing a unified messaging system between its Messenger chat app and Instagram for a while now, and it seems that the merger (of sorts) is finally starting to happen.

Basically, what this means for users is that you’ll be able to message people from Instagram through Messenger and vice versa. Here’s how it should work: You are on Instagram and see a post that makes you think of a friend that’s not on Instagram. Instead of copying a link and then opening Messenger, you’ll be able to search that friend within Instagram’s messaging section and send it to them directly.

According to Engadget, Facebook has come out to say that this new feature is not combining your accounts, nor will you be able to find Messenger conversations within your Instagram DMs. You can also set it up so that people can’t message you across the two platforms.

Image: KnowTechie

Facebook sees this new update as something similar to how email functions. “Just like today you could talk to a Gmail account if you have a Yahoo account, these accounts will be able to talk to each other through the shared protocol that is Messenger,” says Loredena Crisan, VP of Product Design for Messenger.

The update will also include more privacy and security features directed towards Instagram, focused around reporting harassment and things of that nature. Instagram’s DM feature has lagged behind Messenger, but that will change with this update.

So far, the new update has been rolling out to a few countries around the world, but a global launch is expected “soon.”

What do you think? How do you feel about cross-messaging between Messenger and Instagram? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Josiah Motley

Former KnowTechie editor.