Apps

DMs on Instagram get better on last update

Meta is delivering a plethora of new capabilities for Instagram, after major messaging enhancements for WhatsApp and Messanger. The new features will make it easy to share content and respond to conversations from anywhere.

The option to respond to fresh messages while browsing Instagram DMs is a welcome addition. Instead of disrupting your surfing activity, users will receive a new in-app notice that will allow them to respond quickly without having to go to the inbox.

Additionally, you may now share a post more quickly by hitting and holding the “send” button when you locate one you wish to share. This will bring up a list of “your closest friends” with whom you may instantly share the post — all while continuing to browse. If you’re in your inbox, Meta is showing how a row at the top of your inbox — similar to Messenger — will show you who is online and accessible to speak.

In addition, Meta is bringing a new function to Instagram that was previously only available on Messenger. Silent messages allow you to communicate your friends without causing them to receive a notification, which is very useful if you’re sending a message late at night or simply don’t want to bother them.

In a nod to Messenger, Instagram is also adding a new lo-fi chat style and the ability to post votes in group messaging.

Thanks to integrations with some of the top music streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music, users will soon be able to share previews of their favorite tunes. Users will be able to listen to up to 30 seconds of a song immediately in the chat, which could be useful for music discovery.

These enhancements come only one day after Meta revealed a raft of improvements to WhatsApp’s voice messaging feature, demonstrating that the firm is on a roll with new features to improve its messaging apps. Instagram’s new features are now being rolled out in “certain countries,” with intentions to expand them globally in the near future.