Facebook may soon allow users of WhatsApp and Messenger to chat directly with one another, from within their respective apps.
Few people would disagree that there are probably too many messaging apps and services out there. While choice is undeniably a great thing, it can be annoying to have to install a specific app simply because just one of your friends is using.
The problem isn't just a matter of there being a large number of companies producing messaging apps, individual companies are also to blame. The likes of Facebook and Google have multiple messaging options to choose from, but Facebook is looking to make life easier for users of Messenger and WhatsApp.
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The fact that Facebook owns not only Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, but also Instagram – all of which can be used for sending and receiving messages – means that managing communication across the three platforms can be a pain. It has long been hoped that Facebook might see fit to integrate each of the messaging services into each other, and it seems that some progress is being made.
While the Instagram app currently advises people to use Facebook Messenger for chats, references to WhatsApp messages have been spotted in Facebook Messenger. The findings by developer @Alex193a, reported by WABetaInfo, suggest that Facebook is working to make it possible for WhatsApp users to communicate with Messenger users, and vice versa.
It's good to talk
While many people would appreciate the option of chatting with people who are using different messaging apps, there are complications to overcome. While WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption to secure communications, this is not the case for all messages sent through Messenger. Facebook clearly has work to do in this area, particularly when it comes to reassuring users about privacy and security.
Information about the joining of Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp is sketchy at the moment, so we can only really speculate about how things are going to pan out and what sort of timetable Facebook might be working to.
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