Facebook will now allow Instagram business accounts, developers to communicate with customers via Messenger

Facebook will now allow Instagram developers and businesses to communicate with customers via Messenger. The social media giant on Thursday at its F8 Refresh developer conference opened its Messenger API for Instagram developers and business accounts. The API allows brands and businesses to access Instagram's messaging tools into their existing service and sales apps, making it easier to field messages from customers. This is another attempt by Facebook to integrate all its platforms.

Facebook is rolling out the API for Instagram business accounts in a phased manner. It noted that in phase one Instagram accounts with follower count over 10K and under 100K are able to connect to the API. It further noted that it plans to expand to accounts with between 1K and 100K followers for the next phase in July and include remaining accounts for the last phase by the end of the third quarter. Businesses on Facebook already had access to the Messenger API.

The feature was initially announced in October with select businesses in closed beta. Now, any brand or organization using Instagram to interact with customers can use it. Brands and companies wanted better ways of managing communications and Facebook notes that extending Messenger API to Instagram was a much-required feature. Facebook further noted that 90 per cent of Instagram users today follow at least one business, and adding Messenger API will help them with communication.

Whatsapp has also announced a host of new features for WhatsApp Business API during the Facebook F8 Refresh. The new updates are aimed at helping small businesses flourish on the social media platform. The WhatsApp Business API has been tweaked to make the onboarding process quicker and seamless. WhatsApp also said that it is revamping the communication process between the customer and the businesses on the messaging platform. The businesses can now let people know that the particular item is back in stock. Customers can also receive additional information about a particular item if required.

Last year, Facebook integrated Instagram and Messenger as cross-chat platforms, to help users who are not on either platform to interact with each other. Facebook and Instagram cross-app messaging allow users from one app to find and message users on the other. With cross-app messaging, users can search for and message, video chat, or reshare posts with people across Instagram and Facebook.