Meta is moving to connect its social media and messaging apps closer with more messaging channels next. WhatsApp is also trying a new feature to allow users to get media from their Instagram and Facebook accounts directly using WhatsApp's media picker. Users will be able to share Reels, Stories, photos, videos and posts on WhatsApp without downloading the content first.
The feature is being rolled out to a small number of beta testers using the latest versions of WhatsApp on Android and iOS, WABetaInfo reported. Meta’s goal is to make it more seamless between its platforms and users and to make content movable between apps.
Currently, users who want to share an Instagram Reel or Facebook post on WhatsApp have to download it to their phone or use the sharing options for their respective apps. The new WhatsApp feature could simplify the process by allowing them to find all their Instagram and Facebook media right from WhatsApp.
The new feature is already part of WhatsApp's existing media picker. When users choose the list view on the picker, they will see Instagram and Facebook as additional media sources. A dropdown menu lets them choose either platform and browse content from their linked accounts.
Once the desired content is selected, users can share it in a WhatsApp chat or group chat. The same media can also be used when creating a WhatsApp Status. This could be particularly useful for people who frequently publish the same photos, videos and short-form content across multiple Meta platforms.
For example, someone who has already posted a Reel on Instagram would not necessarily need to save the video to their phone before sharing it with a WhatsApp contact. Instead, the content could be chosen directly from WhatsApp's media interface. The same could be done to posts, Stories and other supported media from Facebook.
But the feature has an important requirement. Users will need to connect their WhatsApp account to Meta's Accounts Center. Accounts Center integration is optional, so those who want to keep their WhatsApp account separate from their Instagram and Facebook accounts can continue using the messaging service without the cross-platform functionality.
Meta has already been expanding Accounts Center support on WhatsApp. The company has introduced features to share WhatsApp Status updates with Instagram Stories and Facebook. The latest appears to take that integration one step further by allowing content from Instagram and Facebook to be accessed from within WhatsApp itself.
Privacy remains an important aspect of the integration. The connection works in one direction when it comes to media access, the report stated. Instagram and Facebook can provide eligible media to WhatsApp through the linked accounts, while media stored in WhatsApp is not made available to the other platforms through this feature.
The integration is not expected to change the end-to-end encryption used for personal WhatsApp messages and calls. Users will still be able to use WhatsApp’s existing privacy protections for their conversations, even if they connect the messaging app to their other Meta accounts through Accounts Center.
The feature is still in a gradual rollout phase so not all Android or iPhone users will see the new media sources immediately. Beta testing also allows for the functionality to be changed before it is made public. Meta and WhatsApp have not yet announced when it will be available to all users.
If the feature gets rolled out on a wider scale, it could considerably simplify sharing content across Meta's ecosystem. Instead of switching between Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp to download and re-upload content, users could simply pick up much of the material from WhatsApp's existing media picker. For Meta's users who already use the platform, the update could make it easier for them to share content they already published once.
