Facebook Messenger released a series of products this morning-most notably, including cross-app group chats. Last year, the company introduced cross-app messaging between Messenger and Instagram, but now, users will be able to start group chats between Instagram and Messenger contacts.
Other features added today include voting in Instagram private messages, which is based on the voting feature that exists in Messenger. Messenger has also added a group typing function to private messaging groups, no matter which application you chat on, you can help users see their friends typing at the same time. In addition, as Instagram embraces video content, users will now be able to use the existing watch together feature of Messenger while watching Instagram posts, such as Reels and IGTV videos.
These updates come just hours before the company will testify on Instagram and Facebook’s mental health hazards in the US Senate. But these new additions are more related to separate government investigations into Facebook’s operations. Facebook is facing a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission, accusing Facebook of serious monopoly behavior and must be split. However, as Facebook’s products become more dependent on each other, this may make the company argue that these applications are dependent on each other and make it more difficult to separate.
In addition to further integrating Facebook and Instagram updates, Messenger has also introduced some interesting features for people who are afraid of Mercury retrograde, such as a set of astrology-themed chat themes, stickers and Instagram AR filters.
