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Soon after WhatsApp blocked links to rival messaging app Telegram on Android smartphones, Instagram has also disallowed deep-linking to third-party apps including Snapchat and Telegram. Both WhatsApp and Instagram are owned by Facebook.
Must Read: WhatsApp blocking links to rival app Telegram on Android phones
Telegram shared the news with users through its official Twitter handle and called the move hypocratic. “Another @Facebook tentacle closes on users’ ability to share a link to their Telegram profile. #hypocrisy,” read the tweet from Telegram Messenger.
Instagram provides users an option to add a link to their profile where they connect third-party apps. While Instagram has stopped deep-linking to Snapchat and Telegram; users can still use the feature for other social accounts such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
We tried deep-linking our Telegram account on Instagram but was greeted with a message, “Links asking someone to add you on another service aren’t supported on Instagram”. However, there were no issues doing the same for Twitter and other accounts.
According to TechCrunch, Instagram confirmed that it has blocked links to the messaging app. It said, “We’ve removed the ability to include ‘add me’ links on Instagram profile pages. This was a rare use-case, and not the way our platform was intended to be used. Other types of links are still allowed.”
Telegram, which claims to have over 60 million users is fast growing as a rival to WhatsApp in some circles. The latest update brought some solid features to the app, including Supergroups where users can add 1000 members, double of what WhatsApp currently offers. Additionally Telegram lets users share files of up to 1.5 GB, much more than what WhatsApp currently offers.
Photos: WhatsApp gets new document share support: Top new features
