In addition to cross-app group chats, which allow you to participate in group discussions between the two apps, new group typing indicators to increase
participation and polls in your Instagram Direct Messages, Facebook has unveiled a slew of new features for Messenger and Instagram Direct.
The key improvement is cross-app group chats between Instagram and Messenger, as described by Facebook:
We announced cross-app texting between Instagram and Messenger last year. You can now initiate group chats with your connections on Instagram and
Messenger thanks to this upgrade.
Given that users have had the option to talk between the two apps since last September, functionally, there hasn’t been much of a difference. However, it does
offer a new component and represents a further development in Facebook’s larger messaging integration strategy, which will eventually include WhatsApp.
This will allow users of each platform to communicate with one another via the messaging app of their choice.
In order to comply with WhatsApp’s security settings, that will also require full encryption of Instagram and Messenger direct messages, which appears to be a tougher challenge for the firm.
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The push by Facebook to include more encryption options in its messaging tools has drawn criticism from a number of governments, but with WhatsApp users
already on edge about any potential data-sharing back to Facebook, there won’t be any other choice; Facebook will either have to offer full encryption in all of
its messaging tools or give up on the integration process.
With The Social Network just last month announcing additional encryption features for Messenger, it appears determined to move forward. As a result, you
can expect that to become a much bigger topic of discussion going forward as Facebook looks to take the next, and biggest steps in the larger project.
In addition to bringing polls to Instagram DMs, which are visible in the image above, Facebook is also introducing cross-app group chats.
Polls, a Messenger feature that is a favorite with users, are now accessible in Instagram DMs and cross-app group chats, making it simpler for the group to pick which new program is the most binge-worthy or where everyone should eat next weekend.
While the cross-app functionality is yet another significant step in cementing its integration effort and fusing together its entire array of communications
capabilities, it may offer another engagement option.
Facebook is also introducing new group typing indications that will let you know when multiple friends are typing at once.
As you can see, you can now see when multiple individuals are typing at once, which can increase the conversational buzz in busy rooms.
Additionally, Facebook is introducing new chat themes for Messenger and Instagram, as well as an “Astrology art package” with backdrops and new
augmented reality effects. Over the past year, astrology has grown in popularity, and Snapchat has just added new astrology integrations to increase engagement.
Finally, Facebook has added the ability to watch together from the Instagram Feed, giving users another chance to engage in in-chat conversation.
Introducing Group Type Indicators:
“You may now watch your favorite videos with your friends immediately from your Instagram feed. Simply launch a video chat on Instagram, browse to the
article you want to share, click the share button, and select “Watch Together.”
If it encourages more viewing activity across the board for both applications, that might be very advantageous for IGTV.
Even while short videos are still a popular form of material, most people prefer private messaging since we’ve steadily shifted away from social broadcasting
and toward communicating in smaller, more personal groups.
Actually, people have always preferred to share more with their closest friends. The negative effects of “cancel culture” and other response behaviors as a result
of public posting, however, have caused more people to return to smaller groups and share with accepting, like-minded others that they know and trust.
That’s where Facebook has a lot of influence because it owns two of the top messaging apps on the planet. Although it hasn’t figured out how to properly
monetize them yet, enhancements like these tap into the larger messaging trend while also attempting to encourage more corporate messaging activity with
features like tap-to-message advertisements on Instagram and the growth of WhatsApp’s business capabilities.
At the same time, if at some point it was decided that breaking up Facebook was the best course of action for the industry, the growing integration of its
messaging apps might also, theoretically at least, make Facebook tougher to split up.
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