Meta and TikTok changes, in plain words

Platform updates.

We read the official WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Graph API and TikTok developer pages every day. When something changes that matters to your business, we post here what it means for your STS Connect account, usually the same day.

  1. Important Takes effect

    Meta announces Marketing Messages for Messenger

    Meta has announced a Marketing Messages API for Messenger, a new way for businesses to send promotional messages to customers on Messenger who have agreed to receive them, even after the usual 24-hour customer service window ends. These marketing messages are sent only to customers who opted in, and each customer can stop receiving them at any time. No action is needed from your business right now; more details will follow from Meta.

    Affects Messenger Campaigns

    Detected Source: Messenger Platform changelog(opens in a new tab)

  2. Important Takes effect

    New WhatsApp signup step: choose a display name for your number

    From October 20, 2026, when you connect a new WhatsApp Business number, WhatsApp will ask you to enter a display name for the number after you select your business details. The name is checked against WhatsApp's guidelines as you type, so use your registered business name to avoid approval delays. You will not see this step if your number already has an approved display name or if you are moving an existing number.

    Affects WhatsApp Other

    Detected Source: WhatsApp Cloud API changelog(opens in a new tab)

  3. Important Takes effect

    WhatsApp update: easier one-time passwords and more country-level price caps for marketing messages

    WhatsApp now lets businesses send one-time password (OTP) messages with a copy-code button without creating an authentication template in advance, which makes verification messages faster to set up. WhatsApp also increased the number of per-country maximum prices you can set for a single marketing message template from 50 to 240, so cost caps can cover many more countries. No action is needed from you right now; if you use OTP verification or marketing messages across many countries, these options are available.

    Affects WhatsApp Templates Billing

    Detected Source: WhatsApp Cloud API changelog(opens in a new tab)

  4. Important Takes effect

    Instagram DMs: one-tap phone and email share buttons removed

    From October 5, 2026, Instagram no longer shows the pre-filled buttons that let customers share their phone number or email with one tap in direct messages. Customers will now need to type their contact details as a normal message or pick from plain text options. If your Instagram conversations collect contact information, review where you ask for it and expect customers to enter it manually.

    Affects Instagram AI agent

    Detected Source: Instagram Platform changelog(opens in a new tab)

What we do when a change affects you

We adapt the product first

When a change needs work on our side, we update STS Connect before the date it takes effect.

We email account owners

When you need to act, for example to reconnect a channel, the account owner gets an email with the steps.

The source is always linked

Every update links to the official developer page it came from, so you can read the original.