Multiple news outlets have reported this morning that Facebook is set to give its subsidiaries, Instagram and WhatsApp, a rebrand.
Calling renewed attention to their parent company, the apps will be renamed “WhatsApp from Facebook” and “Instagram from Facebook”, according to The Information.
The new names will show up in app stores and inside the apps, but won't display below the app icons on phone home screens.
While the rebrand doesn't signify any striking changes to the platforms, it is an intriguing move on the part of Facebook which previously allowed the apps to exist independently. For example, in the midst of Facebook's privacy scandal, both Instagram and WhatsApp have remained relatively crisis-free. Plus, a seperate working environment and culture is believed to have helped the two platforms thrive. According to The Information: "The move to add Facebook’s name to the apps has been met with surprise and confusion internally, reflecting the autonomy that the units have operated under."
Furthermore, B&T reports that Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has expressed a desire to create more cohesive communication between the two platforms, allowing users to send messages from WhatsApp to Facebook Messenger, for example.
“I believe the future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure and their messages and content won’t stick around forever,” Zuckerberg said.
