Instagram is adding new tools to its direct messaging (DM) feature in an effort to improve the user experience. Among these innovations, users can edit their photos and create custom labels. Photos sent via DM can now be enhanced with drawings and labels before sending. These new features will work very similarly to the editing tools available in Instagram Stories, allowing users to be more creative in their conversations.
Instagram aims to bring photo editing capabilities to DMs, allowing users to quickly create and share visual content during conversations. Additionally, new tools that allow users to create their own custom hashtags expand the ability to create personalized content. With these new editing options, visual communication in DMs looks set to become more interactive.
Instagram Adds New Chat Themes and Birthday Icons to DMs
In addition to photo editing features, Instagram is also introducing new chat themes for DMs. Users will be able to choose from a variety of themes to customize the look of their DMs. For example, a fall theme or a theme promoting pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s new album will change the design of DMs. These themes are among the innovations Instagram is introducing to make the messaging experience more personal.
Instagram is also bringing a small but noticeable update to its Notes feature. Users can highlight special days with a birthday cake icon that they can add to Notes. Notes are short status updates that appear at the top of users’ DMs, and this new icon is a fun way to mark important dates like birthdays.
These new features on Instagram are seen as an indication of the platform’s emphasis on direct messaging. The company’s head, Adam Mosseri, has emphasized that Instagram DMs are an important part of the platform’s growth. The new features aim to increase interaction between users via messaging.
Messaging is an important area for Instagram
One of the reasons behind Instagram’s focus on messaging is the critical role DMs play in spreading content on the platform. Adam Mosseri said in July that Instagram also looks at how many times a post is shared via DM when ranking it. This suggests that the platform encourages sharing via messaging as part of its algorithm to boost content.
Mosseri’s statement also provides an important tip for content creators: If a post is frequently shared via DM among users, the Instagram algorithm will deliver this content to more people. This indicates that content creators should create shareable content in their posts to increase their engagement.
Instagram’s new photo editing and hashtag features added to DMs could help users share more content. As the use of visual content, especially in chats, increases, the platform’s overall engagement levels are also expected to rise. This is considered part of Instagram’s strategy to increase the time users spend on the platform.