Facebook Isn’t Destroying Instagram and WhatsApp Just Yet

Last week, we heard rumors of Faceobok planning to combine its messaging services on Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger into a single, combined messaging system. The integrated system will introduce end-to-end encryption for all the platforms, while letting people message others from a single app.

The apps will continue to operate as standalone apps, though you will be able to message someone on Facebook from the Instagram app, for example. The idea here is to make it easier for people to communicate with others on the Facebook “ecosystem” securely.

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And as good as that sounds, it’s likely Facebook will ruin the experience across all apps, especially on Instagram and WhatsApp. The company has previously shown that it is capable of pushing things to users that they don’t really want, utilizing growth-hack techniques that simply push users off instead.

Thankfully though, that might not happen anytime soon. The Verge reports that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said on the company’s recent earning calls that “the integration that we’re thinking about, we’re really early in thinking through this.” And that “there’s a lot more we need to figure out.”

Zuckerberg reportedly insisted that the if Facebook does end up doing this, the merger won’t likely show up till 2020 or later. And that’s a good sign for sure, but it is still likely Facebook will go ahead with the plans, at least to a certain extent, to combine its popular platforms like Instagram with others like the core Facebook service. Facebook really, really wants to get its hands on all the teen userbase, and Instagram is the key to that.

And considering Instagram’s original founders left the company late last year, things aren’t looking too good for Instagram’s future.

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Conversation 8 comments

  • dontbe evil

    31 January, 2019 - 5:19 am

    <p>actually it will more an interoperability than a new single app, and I really would love to message few of my friends that have only Whatsapp from Messenger. so I can finally uninstall that <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">halfclient phone dependent app</span></p>

  • minke

    31 January, 2019 - 7:36 am

    <p>I don't think of Instagram as a "messaging app." I just use it to share photos and look at other people's photos, and I only get messages from scammers. I find Facebook's interface so horrible that I only use it for gathering information when there is no other resource, and in some areas FB is basically the entire Internet for many people. Again, I almost never use FB for messaging. I have used WhatsApp for messaging, and I can understand why people would be alarmed. Simple suggestion: use a real "messaging app" for messaging, and skip apps that try to do everything in order to vacuum up more information about users. There are plenty of alternatives, including good old SMS and MMS that work 100% better than messages sent through a catch-all social media platform. Use the best tool for the job, which is almost always not a multitool.</p>

    • red.radar

      Premium Member
      31 January, 2019 - 8:32 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#400795">In reply to Minke:</a></em></blockquote><p>+1 for sms. </p><p><br></p><p>I have become more mindful and distrusting of Silicon Valley companies that can’t manage personal information </p><p><br></p><p>So I have been uninstalling apps </p>

    • RaceQuest

      01 February, 2019 - 5:33 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#400795">In reply to Minke:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agree with what you say – SMS/MMS have no security even though still lowest common base. Needs to be replaced and offer every one a free trade up phone to replace it – fat chance that will ever happen. Signal 7 and Stingers much loved by law enforcement.</p>

      • minke

        01 February, 2019 - 7:04 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#401139">In reply to RaceQuest:</a></em></blockquote><p>No need for security if you just use a messaging app for messaging. I don't use them for anything I wouldn't speak in public to a friend or relative. Sure, if for some reason you need to keep your messages private from law enforcement seek out something else, but SMS/MMS remains the most universal and useful messaging system for most people who don't have iPhones. For those that do, use iMessage and you are good to go.</p>

  • rahewitt

    31 January, 2019 - 8:19 am

    <p>WhatFaceagram? ™</p>

  • kittyburgers

    31 January, 2019 - 3:09 pm

    <p>I don't understand why people don't just use standard SMS and MMS, or, better yet, RCS, if it's available in their carrier.</p>

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    10 April, 2019 - 12:17 pm

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