Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Facebook plans to integrate its messaging services on Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. All three apps will remain stand-alone apps, at a much deeper level they will be linked so messages can travel between the different services.

The plan was first reported in the New York Times and is believed to be a personal project of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

After merger, Facebook users could communicate directly with someone, who only has a WhatsApp account. Currently, this is currently impossible as these apps have no common core.

NYT reported that the work on this project has already begun and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 or early next year.

Cross-platform messaging may also lead the way for businesses on one platform to message potential customers on another.