Facebook announced this through its blog post. Some users are seeing this feature as soon as they open the app. However, users who don’t want to merge their Instagram Direct Messages with Messenger can ignore this option. At the same time, if users choose this update, then after the update their Instagram messaging experience will become much like Messenger. That means, with the new update, Instagram users can use features like message forwarding and chat customization. In chat customization, users can change the color of their chat etc. and can give nickname to their chat.
Facebook says that these features will first appear on Instagram and then they can be seen on Messenger.
After this merger, one can use one platform to contact people on the other platform, that too without downloading a separate app. However, calls and messages made from Instagram to Instagram will remain available only in the Instagram app.
In early 2019, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned end-to-end encryption as a key benefit of the merger of all Facebook’s messaging platforms. Let us tell you, WhatsApp and Messenger support end-to-end encryption, but this support has not been introduced in Instagram at present. Facebook did not mention encryption while giving information about this update.