Do you need another messaging app on your phone? No? I don't believe you, and neither does Instagram.
Okay, well, I believe you, but I'm not joking about Instagram. They're testing out a standalone version of Direct, the social media platform's private messaging, which would separate messaging from the photo and video stream of Instagram.
That move isn't too different from Facebook splitting off Messenger from the primary mobile application, which many people weren't a fan of either. And to be fair, making Direct its own application isn't a surefire thing yet, it's just that Instagram is testing out the concept in a few countries. Hopefully that makes you feel a little better.
To top that off, Direct will open directly to a camera, a la Snapchat. If it wasn't already extremely apparent that Facebook wants to squeeze Snapchat out of the market, this should make things even clearer.
Despite all of that, the move really does make sense. Something like Direct is meant for private conversations, while Instagram is really designed for public and social sharing. Those are two completely opposite things, and Facebook isn't really wrong when they think that two separate apps are the best way to tackle unrelated problems. We just really don't want another messaging app.
The test pilot goes live in a few countries today, and if it goes well, expect to see it roll out more globally soon.
source: The Verge
