Facebook is having quite a busy week. After welcoming Instagram Reels into the proper Facebook app (and the News Feed), the company is back with another announcement. It’s not necessarily as big, per se, but it should help with messaging for groups.
Today, Facebook announced that it has turned on the green light for cross-app group chats. This means that group chats that were previously available on Messenger or Instagram, are now available on Messenger and/or Instagram. Which means, no matter which app you’ve got open at the moment, you’ll be able to jump into your group chat and read the messages therein, as well as add your own.
Facebook says that cross-app group chats is an opt-in situation. So if you want to take advantage of this new cross-app group chat support, you’ll need to give the apps permission.
Per today’s announcement:
With this update, people will be able to start group chats between their Instagram and Messenger contacts. Within these cross-app group chats, you can continue to customize your chat experience with chat themes and custom reactions.
Facebook says that users will still be able to control over who reaches them, even if they turn on support for cross-app group chats. Delivery controls make it possible for users to select who is in their chat lists, which messages are automatically sent to Message Requests, and who can’t message or call each individual user at all.
Resource: How to send Facebook messages without using Messenger app
This new support for cross-app group chats is available now. So make sure you’re updated to the most recent versions of Facebook Messenger and Instagram.