Instagram and Facebook Messenger users will be able to chat with each other across services in the upcoming months.
The update, announced on Wednesday, eliminates the hassle of having to switch between apps to talk with others.
“With this update, it will be even easier to stay connected without thinking about which app to use to reach your friends and family,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Stan Chudnovsky, vice president of Messenger, said in a blog post.
Facebook’s ultimate goal, the company’s executives said during a call with reporters, is to enable users of Instagram and Messenger to also communicate with users of fellow Facebook-owned messaging service WhatApp. But it’s unclear when that will happen.
Users who do not want cross-app messaging between Instagram and Messenger will have the option to disable it. If they do so, their friends and other users will be unable to message them across apps.
Users do not need both Instagram and Messenger to chat with others across those services.
Additionally on Wednesday, Facebook said users will be able to message each other in “vanish mode,” which deletes a conversation after a user exits the message. This allows users to have more private conversations without leaving a digital trail behind.
The new updates put Facebook closer to some of its goals outlined last year by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said he wants the company’s services to be more focused on privacy and interoperability.
The updates, according to Facebook, will start rolling out to users in certain countries within the next few months.