Facebook Continues to Test the Integration Plan of Messenger and Instagram Direct

Facebook continues to push ahead with its messaging integration plan, with another new Instagram/Messenger integration element spotted in testing.

As you can see in this screenshot, posted by mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi (and shared by Matt Navarra), Facebook is currently working on the presentation options for a new integration of Messenger inbox access within Instagram Direct.

That builds upon discovery by Paluzzi last week of a new menu option to ‘Get Messenger on Instagram’.

Instagram has confirmed this test but has also noted that it’s still in its early stages, and is not being trialed in the main app as yet.

But still, it’s another reminder that Facebook is still working on its messaging integration, and another prompt to get you thinking about what that means, and how it will apply across the various messaging options and apps.

Really, it should make things a lot easier, with your full messaging history available within any app. For example, today, Facebook launched a new inbox switcher on Messenger which will enable you to flick between your business and personal messages in a few taps.

Theoretically, once Facebook’s full messaging process is integrated, this will also mean that you’ll be able to manage all of your messaging interactions, across Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, within a single app. That could make it much easier to stay on top of everything – which could also prompt more businesses to utilize messaging more readily, within each app.

If, for example, you could easily stay on top of each message in a single spot, you could run ads in WhatsApp, with a message CTA, expanding your reach potential while only minimally adding to your workload. You could do the same in Messenger, while also continuing to boost your presence on Instagram.

It’s unclear how long it might take for a full integration like this to come about, but the fact that Instagram is testing the presentation of its Messenger integration would suggest that the broader messaging merge is progressing and that this may well be a reality sometime in the near future.

But we don’t know for sure, and as noted, Instagram has said that this is merely a prototype at this stage, and Facebook has separately noted that it’s not looking to announce anything specific on this front just yet.

But it does serve as a reminder that this is happening, it’s still going ahead. And it could open up new opportunities for your business.