Meta to disconnect Instagram and Facebook Messenger chats starting this month

Ever been confused about having both Instagram and Facebook chats in one place? A new change announced by Meta will be separating the two starting this month. Back in 2020, the social media company announced a merger of the two smartphone apps for a ‘better messaging experience’ for its users. However, according to its support page, it plans to reverse this integration in mid-December 2023. Here is all you need to know about the changes that will come into play:

What will change with Instagram and Facebook chat disconnecting?

Both Meta-owned platforms currently provide a cross-app chat function, allowing you to get in touch with users on either app, respectively. But beginning this month, users will not be able to start new conversations or calls for Facebook using Instagram, or vice versa. If you have any existing chats from either of the two platforms, they will be turned into read-only, and you or others will not be able to message you any further on them.

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For Facebook account holders, users will also not be able to see your Activity Status and won’t be able to tell if their messages have been ‘seen’. Lastly, any existing chat you’ve had on Facebook will not move to your inbox on Facebook or on Instagram.

Why has Meta introduced this change?

As of now, the motive behind this change remains undisclosed. However, speculations centre around Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires larger companies to provide seamless interoperability between communication platforms. WhatsApp, another Meta-owned platform, is also reportedly preparing a third-party chat feature that will comply with DMA.

Another reason could also be that Meta plans to introduce a wider chat possibility for both of these platforms, owing to their growth. While there’s no way to read the future of these instant messaging platforms, there’s no denying that this will help simplify communication for users who frequent both these apps.