Instagram merges Direct Messages with Messenger chats in the latest update

(Update: The article was originally published on 17 August. It is being re-published today ( 18 August) with a statement from Facebook)Last year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his plans to merge WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram by 2020. The plan now seems to be in motion. Instagram DMs are reportedly being merged with Facebook Messenger chat.The recent Instagram update on both iOS and Android devices in the US will now let users message their friends on Facebook via the Instagram app, according to a report by The Verge. The report clarifies that it is not possible to text Facebook users via the Instagram app as of now.When asked if users in India will also get this update, a Facebook spokesperson told tech2, "A small set of people were able to update to a new test experience for Instagram messaging. We hope they enjoy the experience and we are looking forward to testing it in other countries so we can keep learning from this."tech2 reached out to Instagram for a confirmation on the feature's rollout, however, we are still awaiting a response. We were also unable to verify the feature, as the update is not yet available on our devices.[caption id="attachment_6923881" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Instagram update is reportedly seen on both Android and iOS devices.[/caption]Reportedly, the new Instagram update greets users with a message on DMs: "There's New Way to Message on Instagram". Instagram says its the "new colourful look for your chats", and you can use it to "chat with friends who use Facebook".The Instagram chats have also reportedly got a makeover in terms of aesthetics. The report reveals that the chats are more colourful and the sender's messages appear in blue and purple colours.[caption id="attachment_8719121" align="alignnone" width="727"] Messenger logo pops up on the Instagram app. Image: The Verge[/caption]In addition to this, the DM icon on the Instagram app (placed in the top right corner) is also reportedly replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo.In 2019, Facebook had also stated that by merging these platforms it wanted to “build the best messaging experiences we can; and people want messaging to be fast, simple, reliable and private.” It added: “We’re working on making more of our messaging products end-to-end encrypted and considering ways to make it easier to reach friends and family across networks.”