Facebook to add own name to Instagram, WhatsApp

Facebook is to add its own name to two of its most popular services – Instagram and WhatsApp – to more clearly signal its ownership of the social media platforms.

The social networking giant confirmed the rebrand but has not said when it will take effect.

It is understood the new names – Instagram from Facebook and WhatsApp from Facebook – will appear in the title for both apps on Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play store.

“We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook,” a company spokesman said of the update.

Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 for one billion dollars and WhatsApp in 2014 for 19 billion dollars, and the two form part of the “Facebook family of apps” alongside the main Facebook app and Messenger.

Earlier this year, Facebook announced plans to integrate its messaging apps more closely, alongside a move towards end-to-end encryption across its services.

At the time, Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the plans were part of an effort “to make it easier to reach friends and family across networks”.