Meta Plans to Discontinue Cross-Messaging Between Instagram and Facebook

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced its decision to discontinue cross-messaging between the two platforms, effective mid-December 2023. This move marks a significant shift in the company's strategy, signaling a focus on individual app experiences rather than a unified messaging platform. 

The feature was launched in 2020 but it didn’t receive a good response from the users. 9to5 Google mentioned: “Back in 2020, Meta – then “Facebook” – announced that it was connecting its Messenger experience to Instagram, enabling the latter platform to have an improved chatting experience while also ensuring its users had “access to the best messaging experience, no matter which app you use.” From either app, it’s possible to stay in touch with your Facebook friends and Instagram contacts, though to do so, you need to choose to “update” the messaging experience”

What Is the Reason Behind this Decision?

Meta's decision to discontinue cross-messaging has no major reason but it can stem from several factors, including:

• Enhancing User Experience: Meta aims to provide a more streamlined and personalized user experience for each platform. By separating messaging capabilities, the company can tailor features and functionalities to better suit the unique needs of Instagram and Facebook users.
• Privacy Concerns: Cross-messaging between Instagram and Facebook raised privacy concerns, as users had to consent to share their data across both platforms to utilize the feature. By discontinuing cross-messaging, Meta aims to simplify data collection and usage, potentially easing privacy concerns.
• Focusing on Individual Apps: Meta's decision aligns with its recent focus on individual app experiences. The company has been investing heavily in developing distinct features and functionalities for each platform, catering to the diverse preferences and behaviors of Instagram and Facebook users.

What Will be the Impact on Users?

The discontinuation of cross-messaging will primarily impact users who have been using the feature to communicate with friends and connections across both platforms. They will no longer be able to initiate or send messages directly from Instagram to Facebook accounts or vice versa.

Existing chats between Instagram and Facebook accounts will remain accessible but will become read-only. Users will be able to view past conversations but will not be able to send new messages.

Meta has not disclosed specific plans for future messaging integrations between its platforms. However, the company has indicated its commitment to providing seamless and secure messaging experiences across its portfolio of services.