Why is Meta discontinuing cross-app chatting between Instagram and Messenger?

Starting mid-December, you won’t be able to message your Facebook friends directly from Instagram, and vice versa. The feature, launched in 2020, is being nixed.

Here are a few things that’ll happen. Firstly, any ongoing chats you have with Facebook contacts will become read-only. This means you and others won’t be able to send new messages. Your online status and read receipts won’t be visible to your Facebook friends. Finally, it’s important to note that your existing chats won’t be transferred to Facebook or Messenger.

The exact reason for Meta’s decision to discontinue cross-app chatting between Instagram and Messenger remains unclear. However, there are a few possible explanations, like:

The company is preparing for the implementation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act) in 2024, which requires large messaging platforms to interoperate with each other. Meta may disconnect the cross-app chatting feature to enable broader interoperability within Messenger.

In addition, Meta is reducing Messenger’s functionality by removing SMS/MMS and shutting down Messenger Lite. This makes it look like Messenger is no longer a priority for the company. Disconnecting cross-app chatting could streamline Messenger and allow the company to focus its resources on other areas.

Meta may explore alternative ways to connect users across its platforms rather than relying on direct chat integration. This could mean that the company is rethinking its communication strategies.

We will inform our audience as soon as we receive any new information.

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