Facebook is starting to merge Instagram and Messenger chats together in a new update

The next time you open up Instagram, you might get a popup that looks like the image above. That’s because Facebook is merging Instagram and Messenger chats in a new update. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll be able to message Facebook friends from Instagram. Well, at least not yet.

But first things first, you’ll have to update your Instagram app to complete the merge, according to the image first discovered by The Verge. The update window describes new features coming to Instagram Direct. This includes a new colorful chat interface, more emoji reactions, and a swipe-to-reply touch gesture.

The update isn’t required if you want to keep things the way they are, but you do have the option to install it right away if you so choose. If and when you decide to update to the merge, the usual DM icon in the top right of Instagram will be swapped out with Facebook’s Messenger logo.

Speaking to The Verge, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed all of this, adding: “A small set of people were able to update to a new test experience for Instagram messaging. We hope they enjoy the experience, and we are looking forward to testing it in other countries so we can keep learning from this.”

All of this isn’t news by any stretch. The company gave us a glimpse of what it was trying to do roughly two years ago. The idea behind it is to combine Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp messaging into one unified platform. However, getting that off the ground isn’t so easy, as we can see two years later.

Either way, it’s good to see Facebook is putting their money where their mouth is. I haven’t seen this prompt yet on my Instagram account, but I’m guessing that will change soon. If you’re still looking to update to merge your Facebook Messenger account with Instagram, be patient, it should be coming soon.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.