Early last year, Facebook's chief Mark Zuckerberg announced its plans to merge WhatsApp, Instagram, and the Facebook Messenger app into one entity to allow cross-platform messaging. It now seems Facebook is finally integrating the chat systems.
First noticed by The Verge on Friday, they saw elements of Instagram and Messenger functionality embedded on the Instagram app.
Also Read: US Is Developing A ‘Quantum Internet’ Which Will Be ‘Virtually Unhackable’
According to The verge, upon opening the Instagram app on both iOS and Android device, they got an update screen popped up with the message "There's a New Way to Message on Instagram" with a list of features including a "new colorful look for your chats,"emoji reactions, swipe to reply messages, and the ability to "chat with friends who use Facebook."
When the user click on the update button, the regular DM icon on Instagram gets replaced by the Facebook Messengers logo.
The Verge notes that chats on Instagram are more colourful than before, with the senders messages shifting between blue and purple as you scroll. Though, for now, Instagram users can't message those on Facebook Messenger.
This plan by Facebook's has met many employees at Instagram and WhatsApp who aren't comfortable with the move who sees it as the social giant exerting power over WhatsApp and Instagram, which Facebook once vowed never to interfere with.
Facebook did not immediately reply to a request for comment when reached on Friday.