Instagram is reportedly testing a new notification that points you towards a particular social media that you might find interesting. Much like Neil Patrick Harris’ character Barney Stinson from the US sitcom How I Met Your Mother, the app will use its wingman-y charms to entice you into checking out the various features offered by this popular and trendy platform.
It’s called “Facebook”. Maybe you have heard of it before?
The test, first reported by Engadget, will feature a new notice at the top of a user’s Instagram feed which would highlight the exclusive features offered by its parent company’s social media platform. “We’re testing a way to let people who have connected their Instagram accounts to Facebook know about features only available there, such as how to find a job, date online, buy and sell goods, or catch up on the latest news,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement provided to the publication.
If this peculiar move has caused you to raise an eyebrow, be assured that you’re not the only one taken aback. What’s even more odd about this decision is the fact that both platforms are targeting users who are already part of their existing user base. Perhaps the footnote that appears on Instagram’s splash screen (shown below) wasn’t enough to remind users that the app is wholefully owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s social media giant.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Facebook has tried to encourage users to use its services on the photo sharing platform. For a long while now, Instagram has enabled users to sign in and register to its app by using a Facebook account. More recent attempts include merging its in-app direct messaging feature to the social media giant’s Messenger service, and even allowing users to crosspost their Instagram Stories to Facebook.
Unfortunately, there are no screenshots of this supposed notification, but we’re certain that we’ll be seeing plenty of it soon once both platforms have rolled it out for testing. On that note, Facebook says that only “a very small group” of Instagram users who have previously opted to link their accounts to the social media giant’s platform will see the new notice. While it can be dismissed at any time by the user, this shameless self-plug will definitely be irritating nonetheless.
(Source: Engadget)
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