That's because all of Google's main consumer properties didn't get branding changes and are still all "Google Maps" or "Google Photos", etc...
WhatsApp and Instagram are much stronger brands, and are not already branded "Facebook WhatsApp" or "WhatsApp by Facebook".
> "WhatsApp by Facebook".
Well, the splash screen says "Whatsapp from Facebook", and the description on the Google Play store starts with "WhatsApp from Facebook is a FREE messaging and video calling app."
So, it's out there, even if people haven't changed the way they think.
Disclosure: I worked for WhatsApp until 2019
They are called Google maps/Google photos because these are Google products.
Google is responsible for alphabets web services. Check out Wikipedia for actual examples like waymo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_Inc.)
Really not true. The same number of people will know Facebook as owning them as do now. Like now people are like, "you know Instagram is owned by Facebook right?"
That's not going to change.
Google didn't change its org structure for consumer-facing rebranding purposes. It was a move for the market/investors, to separate out more clearly the (lack of) profitability of individual sectors and acquisitions of the company that don't happen to be ads or search. Alphabet was about creating internal transparency.
That's the story. At the same time their former CEO made quite a few statements that did not sit well with the management of the daughter companies, Google's reputation is such that some distance really doesn't hurt in the PR department.
I hope (and feel) like the ruse will not work.