Another step closer to having all their messaging (including WhatsApp) on one platform
Facebook has previously announced that it plans to host all its messaging services (that would be Instagram DM, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp) on one unified platform, and it seems the goal is edging ever closer. Also, the co-watching experience ‘Watch Together’ (that was announced mid September 2020 and has now been expanded to include films and shows from Lionsgate, Warner Bros and Sony) will be rolled out across Instagram, too. This is not only a great way to watch content with your friends, but also potentially a new way of creating reaction content AND a new form of content format to create: videos to be watched with a friend (or group of up to 50 friends if you’re that popular) to compare reactions.
In a video (below) from Facebook, the company announced:
- Watch Together is to be rolled out onto Instagram
- ‘Vanish mode’ – messages that automatically vanish after they’ve been seen (a broader extension of the pre-existing Secret Message function)
- Custom emoji reactions to messages
- New colour gradients for chats in Messenger and on Instagram
- Selfie stickers
With the new cross-platform messaging functionality also comes new messaging controls, allowing you to select who can message you across both platforms so it doesn’t end up being a frenzy.
Facebook has commented (unofficially, and on Twitter) that they’re still figuring out how to incorporate WhatsApp into a unified messaging service, and that for now it will “continue to be a separate, end-to-end encrypted app.”
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