Facebook rolled out an update that merges Instagram with Messenger, providing users with access to a list of features in Direct Messages.
The move adds a ‘new colorful look for your chats,’ more emoji reactions, swipe-to-reply and the ability to chat with others who use Facebook.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced last year that the firm would bring together the messaging infrastructure of popular apps, as well as with incorporate end-to-end encryption.
The merger comes as the tech tycoon battles with government regulators who are investigating the possibility of breaking up the social giant.
Facebook rolled out an update that merges Instagram with Messenger, providing users with access to a list of features in Direct Messages. The move adds a ‘new colorful look for your chats,’ more emoji reactions, swipe-to-reply and the ability to chat with others who use Facebook
The update, first spotted by The Verge, appeared in the latest version of both Instagram and Messenger.
When a user selected the update, a screen appears sharing, ‘There’s a New Way to Message on Instagram.’
The description provides more details about features that will now be available in Instagram’s Direct Message.
Users have access to new colorful look for chats, a new list of emojis, the swipe to reply to message option and the ability to chat with friends on Facebook – bringing the messaging services into one platform.
The update, first spotted by The Verge, appeared in the latest version of both Instagram and Messenger. When a user selected the update, a screen appears sharing, ‘There’s a New Way to Message on Instagram’
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed it was testing the experience.
‘A small set of people were able to update to a new test experience for Instagram messaging,’ the spokesperson said in an email to The Verge.
‘We hope they enjoy the experience and we are looking forward to testing it in other countries so we can keep learning from this.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to Facebook for comment and has yet to receive a response.
Facebook recently went in front of Congress, which is investigating the social media site’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.
However, Zuckerberg is hitting back stating the claims are based on Instagram’s present-day success.
‘It was not a guarantee that Instagram was going to succeed,’ he said.
‘The acquisition has done wildly well, largely because not just of the founders’ talent, but because we invested heavily in building up the infrastructure and promoting it.’
With the merge, it will be more difficult for government officials to break up the social media giant.
Just last month, Florida Rep Matt Gaetz has called for the Justice Department to investigate Zuckerberg for allegedly lying to Congress about political bias in the social media giant’s content moderation practices.
Facebook recently went in front of Congress, which is investigating the social media site’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp. However, Zuckerberg is hitting back stating the claims are based on Instagram’s present-day success
The Republican congressman sent a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr on Monday accusing Zuckerberg of making ‘materially false statements to Congress while under oath’ during two hearings in April 2018.
‘On both occasions, members of Congress asked Mr. Zuckerberg about allegations that Facebook censored and suppressed content supportive of President Donald Trump and other conservatives,’ Gaetz wrote.
‘In his responses, Mr. Zuckerberg repeatedly and categorically denied any bias against conservative speech, persons, policies, or politics. Mr. Zuckerberg also dismissed the suggestion that Facebook exercises any form of editorial manipulation.’
Gaetz cited a recent investigation from Project Veritas, a right-wing activist group, which found that the ‘overwhelming majority’ of content filtered by Facebook’s artificial intelligence was in support of Trump and other Republicans and conservative ideals.