Facebook Inc. drew a lot of flak a few years ago when it moved all of its messaging features to Facebook Messenger. Now there’s a chance that the social media giant could do the same with Instagram.

Instagram is now testing Direct, a standalone messaging app for Instagram’s private chat features. The new app suggests that Facebook sees more potential in Instagram’s messaging features, which began as a bit of an afterthought. Instagram did not originally have private messaging at all when it first launched in 2010, and the platform still lacked messaging all the way up to the end of 2013, when the feature was added as a way to keep up with Snapchat.

Instagram Direct is currently available only in Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey and Uruguay. This is a departure from Facebook’s usual habit of testing out new ideas in the U.S. first before rolling them out to other countries. Kevin Weil, vice president of product at Instagram, said in a tweet that although Instagram Direct is only rolling out to these six countries at first, Instagram also “can’t wait for you all to try it.”

According to product manager Hemal Shah, Instagram Direct will allow the company to build a better messaging experience for users than they would get through the normal Instagram app.

“We want Instagram to be a place for all of your moments, and private sharing with close friends is an important part of that,” Shah told The Verge. “Direct has grown within Instagram over the past four years, but we can make it even better if it stands on its own. We can push the boundaries to create the fastest and most creative space for private sharing when Direct is a camera-first, standalone app.”

Shah’s statement follows the same reasoning Facebook used when it split Messenger off from the core Facebook app in 2014. Facebook’s decision was controversial at the time, but the move has ultimately paid off for the company, with Messenger now boasting more than 1.2 billion monthly active users.

Messenger has also become a major platform for chatbots, many of which are used by businesses to engage with their customers, and Facebook has been steadily expanding Messenger into its own mobile app platform. Since Facebook is all about monetization, Instagram Direct could move in a similar direction.

Photo: Instagram