Instagram has become a household name thanks to its filter-friendly photo and video sharing tools, but the Facebook-owned company has no plans to stop there, according to reports on Friday.
Sources within the company have told Gigaom that the next version of the app will feature a private instant messaging feature that will allow users to converse beyond the current commenting mechanism
The feature is likely to be integrated into an update before the end of the year, according to the source, and could even enable group messaging, which the site has reportedly been experimenting with.
Integrating messaging could give Instagram a shot at competing with apps like Snapchat, which are proving popular with the younger sectors of Instagram's audience.
The Snapchat effect
Indeed, Facebook itself reportedly attempted to buy Snapchat for $ 3 billion recently amid a significant surge in its popularity, so may be operating under a 'If you can't beat of buy 'em, join 'em' strategy.
An Instagram spokesperson declined to comment on the report.
Is instant messaging to 2013 what filtered photos were to 2013? Would you welcome IM within Instagram? Let us know in the comments section below.
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