Introducing Instagram’s New Messaging Features
You can do different things on different social media platforms. On some, you can upload music; on others, you can upload videos. But what initially made social media platforms popular was their ability to connect their users with their loved ones.
Social media's messaging system is more convenient and feels less formal than emails. In some countries like the Philippines, messaging on some social media platforms is also free – users don't need to have data. So, it can be more convenient than text.
So, while platforms need to develop more features for their niche, they should not neglect their messaging features. Meta's Facebook Messenger has a lot of users. The same goes for WhatsApp. And we can say both these products are well-developed. While Instagram's Direct Messaging feature is usable, it pales in comparison with these two.
But that's about to change. The platform has released seven new messaging features. Here's what you need to know about them, and how you can use them to get more Instagram followers tomorrow.
Instagram's Focus on Improving Messaging
Last December 29, Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, released a video on the platform. He talked about the things Instagram will be prioritizing this year. Among those is messaging.
He says that messaging is the primary way people connect with each other online. Instagram needs to embrace that fact, he adds. And they believe Instagram can be the best place for people to connect with friends about the things they love.
The company has proven that those were not empty promises. They invested more in messaging to enable the users to connect with their closest friends in more fun and seamless ways.
Instagram released seven new messaging features on March 31, 2022, and users are going to love them.
Responding, Sharing, and Chatting
Before the release of these features, chatting while browsing was a pain. But now, three new features allow you to do both simultaneously.
Reply To Friends While You Chat
Before the launch of these features, you need to leave your Feed when replying to messages. And when you come back to your Feed, you are not where you left. So, you need to scroll down again, which is annoying.
Instagram launched a new feature to improve the experience. You no longer have to go to your inbox to reply. As a result, you will no longer lose your place in your Feed.
This feature displays the message at the top of your screen. Then, your keyboard and the message composer would pop up in the bottom half of the screen. It will blur out the background, which is your Feed, to let you focus on your message. And once done, it will unblur the Feed and let you continue scrolling.
Send Posts to Friends
When you tap the share button on Facebook, it will give you many options. One of those options is to send the post to your friends via Messenger. Meta is bringing that feature to Instagram. If you tap and hold the share button, you will see the profile pictures of your closest friends pop up above it. You can tap on their profile pictures to directly send them the post. It makes sharing things on Instagram messaging quick and effortless.
Indicators For Who's Online
This feature is another one that has always been on Messenger but was not on Instagram. It is the ability to see who among your friends is online and available to chat with at the moment. With that, you no longer have to wait for a reply from someone who may or may not be online. Instagram says it will help you find serendipitous opportunities to connect with your friends.
New Experiences
Instagram was not joking when it said there would be significant upgrades for the DM inbox. On top of the three features mentioned above, the company rolled out four more, which it categorizes as “new experiences in message threads.”
Preview Songs in DMs
Did you find a great song on a music streaming service? Usually, people share that with their friends. And Instagram DMs now allow you to do that easily.
Instagram has integrated with Apple Music and Amazon Music. When you discover a great song on those platforms, you can share it with your friends on Instagram. On other platforms, you can only send a link to the song. But on Instagram, your friends can listen to a 30-second preview of that song without leaving the platform.
Silent Messages
Sometimes, you need to send a message to someone, but it is in the dead of night. So, you may want to postpone sending it because you don't want to bother them. And you may forget to do it the next day.
Silent messages solve this problem. You need to add “@silent” to your message. Instagram will deliver your message to the recipient but will not notify them.
Polls
It seems Instagram wants to look exactly like Facebook Messenger because here's another feature it copied from there. As they said in the blog post, polls are one of Messenger's most beloved group chat features. And now, you can also create polls in your group chats on Instagram. That will make making decisions as a squad easier.
Lo-Fi Theme
This is, without a doubt, the least exciting feature. It is a theme that features a cityscape, a cat, and pastel colors. If you want to make conversations feel more personal and the chat box more aesthetically pleasing, you should give it a try.
Availability
Unfortunately, not all will have access to these features, at least for now. Instagram says they will be available only to select countries. But don't worry because the company says they plan to expand the features globally.
Instagram adds that this move is part of their ongoing effort ” to improve how you connect and share with your closest friends.” So, stay tuned for more upcoming features since the company hinted more is to come. Again, as Mosseri said last December, improving DMs will be one of their main focuses this year.
Date: January 17, 2023 / Categories: Interesting, / Author: Rich Drees
