Instagram Introduces Several New Direct Message Features to Streamline Messaging
Instagram has unveiled a plethora of fresh functionalities for its Direct Messaging (DM) section, poised to enhance private exchanges and infuse a more tailored feel into the interactions. The latest enhancements to Instagram’s DM encompass the ability to revise messages, pin chats, manage read receipts, among others. Threads, Meta’s recent social media venture, has also seen the integration of novel gesture-driven controls. Remarkably, these updates follow closely on the heels of Instagram’s introduction of a lock screen widget for iOS, facilitating swift capturing of photos or video snippets for Stories.
Fresh DM Attributes on Instagram
The social networking giant heralded these enhancements through a blog entry, underscoring the enduring significance of private messaging as a primary conduit for daily user engagement, with the new features aiming to refine the overall user experience.
Among the standout additions is the message editing functionality. Mimicking the feature prevalent in WhatsApp, another Meta-owned platform, Instagram now empowers users to amend dispatched messages within a window of 15 minutes post transmission. To initiate edits, users are required to long-press the dispatched message and, upon the appearance of a dropdown menu, opt for the edit function.
Furthermore, the process of pinning chats atop the inbox has undergone refinement. Users can now pin up to three conversations—whether group or individual—to expedite access. The act of pinning merely involves a swipe left or a prolonged press on a chat within the inbox interface, followed by selecting the pin command.
This update also grants users enhanced control over read receipts, thereby bolstering their privacy on the platform. Users now possess the ability to toggle read receipts off for all chats or selectively for chosen conversations. The procedure is straightforward: to disable read receipts for all conversations, navigate to Account Settings > Messages and story replies > Show read receipts, and toggle the setting accordingly.
For individual conversations, users need to venture into the specific chat wherein they wish to disable read receipts. Subsequently, tapping on the recipient’s name and selecting Privacy and safety will unveil the option to manage Read receipts, allowing users to deactivate them. These controls function uniformly across both Android and iOS platforms.
Moreover, Instagram has introduced a mechanism for users to bookmark their preferred stickers, ensuring their prominence at the summit of the sticker repository. This can be accomplished by simply pressing and holding the desired sticker, thus prompting automatic preservation. Additionally, the introduction of three new themes—Love, Lollipop, and Avatar: The Last Airbender—further enriches the user experience.
Threads Embraces a Novel Feature
According to insights from 9to5Mac, Threads has incorporated an intriguing feature. While traversing the For You tab within the app, users can now swipe right to express approval for a post and swipe left to conceal it. This feature is purportedly confined to this specific context and remains uncertain whether it will permeate other segments of the application.