Credit: https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/04/you-can-now-import-your-instagram-contacts-into-messenger/
Facebook and Instagram are both working on a new feature that will let you bring your Instagram contacts into Messenger, TechCrunch reports. The test being carried out by the two services is an opt-in for users. It is coming on the heels of a recent integration in Facebook that allows Instagram posts to appear on the platform. Recall that you can also open Instagram app directly from your Facebook app.
The feature will make is simpler for users to sync their Instagram and Messenger accounts with ease.
As seen on the screenshot above, you can now connect to Instagram from Messenger. This is available in the People tab where you can add your Instagram contacts to your list of friends that can be reached via the messaging app. If you are a new user, you also have the option of adding your Instagram contacts from the Messenger sign-up flow.
Worried about spam? Good thing is only contacts of those you mutually follow on Instagram will be imported.
This is not official yet, but TechCrunch adds that both Facebook and Instagram have started testing the feature. No exact date has been fixed when the feature will become available or if indeed it will ever hit the limelight.
Instagram users can now access their profile through Facebook’s navigation menu on mobile that includes a link to their account. The new option appears right below the link to your personal profile in the Facebook app, and above your Facebook Page(s) being managed by you.
As soon as you click on the link, the Instagram app on your phone will be launched automatically, which takes you to the app’s main feed. This works the same way it would when launching the app from your home screen.
Facebook is Instagram’s parent company, and it’s not coming as a surprise to many that this little change is being made. With the change, Facebook will more than ever be able to make Instagram stronger and more popular. In the US for instance, the ephemeral app is being edged to the second spot by Snapchat—and though, that may not last for long, Instagram knows that it still has a lot to do to close the gap.
A new report suggests that Instagram is closing in on its biggest rival, Snapchat—but that of course is in the US. While Snapchat maintains a close edge over Instagram in terms of new accounts in the US, the same cannot be said about its dominance of the global market. Instagram, according to Jumpshot, is the number one ephemeral app on the global scene.
According to Jumpshot per Recode, 52 percent of new users in the US signed up for Snapchat, while 48 preferred Instagram. This, according to the report, is a sharp decline in Snapchat’s new enrolment. However, Jumpshot didn’t take into account users who may have confirmed their new accounts via text.
