# How Instant Messaging Apps Open Reply Windows for Social Media Updates

> A method for letting users reply to social media updates directly within an instant messaging app by using external software to control the appearance of the reply window.

- **Patent:** US 9467413
- **Original title:** Method and system for replying to website update event
- **Owner:** Tencent Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd
- **Granted:** 2016
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 0
- **Field:** software, telecommunications, consumer_electronics

## What it does

This patent describes a way to bridge the gap between a social networking site (SNS) and an instant messaging (IM) application. When a user receives a notification about a social media update—like a new photo or status post—the IM client receives specific prompting information. Upon the user's command, the IM client loads the relevant social media content and uses an external software program to define how the reply window should look, including its size, title, and background color. This allows the user to interact with the social media update without leaving the IM interface.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover replying to updates directly within the social networking site's own native app or website.
- Does not cover general notification systems that do not involve generating a specific reply window via external software attributes.
- Does not cover automated or bot-driven replies that occur without user interaction.

## The clever bit

The innovation lies in using an external software program to 'bundle' window attributes—like size and color—so the IM client can dynamically generate a consistent reply window for content coming from different, potentially external, social media sources.

## Real-world examples

1. WeChat notifications for social media status updates
2. In-app reply windows for social feeds within messaging platforms

## Why it matters

This technology is central to the 'super-app' ecosystem, where platforms like Tencent's WeChat integrate social feeds, messaging, and third-party services into a single interface. By standardizing how these different services talk to each other, companies can keep users within their own ecosystem longer, increasing engagement and data collection.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Instant Messaging Apps Open Reply Windows for Social Media Updates cover?

A method for letting users reply to social media updates directly within an instant messaging app by using external software to control the appearance of the reply window.

### Who owns patent US 9467413?

Tencent Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd owns this patent, granted in 2016.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on October 11, 2036, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This technology is central to the 'super-app' ecosystem, where platforms like Tencent's WeChat integrate social feeds, messaging, and third-party services into a single interface. By standardizing how these different services talk to each other, companies can keep users within their own ecosystem longer, increasing engagement and data collection.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover replying to updates directly within the social networking site's own native app or website.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9467413/facebook-marketplace

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US9467413

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._