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Instagram enhances its Direct messaging feature w/ chat threads, giant emoji, more

Instagram Direct update

After mostly letting it sit stagnant for nearly two years, Instagram is ready to show its Direct messaging feature some love. Instagram Direct, which lets you share photos, videos, and messages privately with other Instagram users, was seen as a play at Snapchat and similar apps when it launched in 2013, but it’s so far experienced limited appeal within the photo sharing app. Now Instagram hopes to change that with new features including message threads, giant emoji, sharing from your timeline, and more.

For its part, Instagram says that over 85 million people use Direct each month to “send inside jokes, family videos, photos from road trips and other moments meant only for a handful of people,” but use among my friends and colleagues has mostly been ironic instances (which may fit into the inside joke category) since its initial launch in 2013.

Now Instagram is shaping Direct up as a better messaging solution with threaded conversations that make keeping up in group chats easier, group names as seen on other messaging services, and a quick camera feature for sharing selfies quicker than before. Instagram is also adding giant emoji messaging and allowing users to share photos and videos from the main timeline to Direct privately.

Instagram Direct – Introducing Improvements from Instagram on Vimeo.

Besides some enhanced messaging features, the real story here is that Instagram seems to be giving Direct another go rather than just letting it get more stale. Instagram Direct is still a rather sub-feature within the app for now, though, but maybe the new enhancements are a sign of things to come.

Instagram 7.5 for iPhone is available on the App Store.

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Comments

  1. PhilBoogie - 9 years ago

    “For its part, Instagram says that over 85 million people use Direct each month to “send inside jokes, family videos, photos from road trips and other moments meant only for a handful of people,” but use among my friends and colleagues has mostly been ironic instances (which may fit into the inside joke category) since its initial launch in 2013.”

    They’ve been reading our messages and looking at our photos? So much for privacy!

  2. With “chat threads”, or with “cat threads?” ;)

  3. Tommy C (@DJFriar) - 9 years ago

    Can the entire tech sector start taking Instagram (and Facebook) to task for not including this in the release notes? The notes for 7.5 are solely about the Explore tab being changed, which happened what, 4 versions ago? It is ridiculous that we are reading about these changes for the first time from a 3rd party site and not directly within the release notes when we update the app.

  4. zBrain (@joeregular) - 9 years ago

    instagram and facebook has a track record of not being the best when it comes to privacy. that is why i suggest friends and famiily to use something else.

  5. Afraz Anosh - 9 years ago

    Available for Windows yet?

  6. El Tacoo Bell - 9 years ago

    How About ZOOMING!!!

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.