Facebook Merges Chat Functions from Messenger and Instagram

Facebook enabled Instagram users to exchange messages and calls with users on Messenger. The plans for merging chat options is a long-discussed plan to increase interoperability between Facebook-owned apps.

The goal is to make it easier to stay connected without thinking about which app to use, said Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Messenger chief Stan Chudnovsky. "People are communicating in private spaces now more than ever. More than a billion people already use Messenger as a place to share, hang out and express themselves with family and friends. That’s why we’re connecting the Messenger and Instagram experience," the duo wrote in a blog post.

Instagram users also gained access to other Messenger features, including content viewing service Watch Together, message forwarding, animated effects, customisable chat colours and the ability to set messages to disappear from a conversation after a set period of time. Users can block and sort message requests.