Instagram is rolling out a suite of new features designed to elevate the user experience within Direct Messages (DMs). These updates prioritize user privacy and offer greater control over personalization, with a particular emphasis on location sharing, customized nicknames, and expanded sticker options.
Precise Location Sharing for Enhanced Coordination
Taking inspiration from WhatsApp, Instagram now offers a live location sharing feature within DMs. This functionality allows users to share their real-time location with friends for a specified duration of up to one hour. This can be particularly useful when coordinating meetups in dynamic environments, such as finding friends amidst the crowds at concerts or navigating bustling cricket matches. To further refine location sharing, users can also pin a spot on a map, enabling precise coordination of meeting points and estimated arrival times.
Instagram has taken careful measures to ensure user privacy with this feature. Live location sharing is deactivated by default and can only be initiated within the confines of a private DM. The shared location data remains exclusively visible to the participants engaged in the conversation and cannot be forwarded to other users. As an added layer of transparency, a prominent indicator is displayed at the top of the chat window whenever live location sharing is active, and users retain the ability to terminate the sharing at any point they choose. Importantly, this feature is currently being gradually rolled out and is available only in select countries.
Personalized Nicknames for Unique Conversations
Adding a touch of individuality to each chat, Instagram is introducing the option to assign nicknames within DM conversations. This empowers users to personalize their interactions by giving each other unique monikers within the context of their chat. These nicknames remain exclusive to the DM environment and have no bearing on the user’s public username, ensuring a clear distinction between public identity and private interactions.
While the default setting allows any user followed by the account holder to modify their nickname within a chat, this can be adjusted. Users can exercise granular control over nickname permissions, customizing the settings to specify who has the authority to change nicknames within a conversation. This offers greater control and flexibility in managing how users are identified within different chats.
Expanding Expressiveness with Stickers and Favorites
In its bid to enrich communication and self-expression, Instagram is significantly expanding its sticker library. With the addition of 17 new sticker packs to the DM interface, users gain access to a wider array of visual elements to enhance their conversations. This expanded collection caters to diverse moods, reactions, and conversational contexts, providing users with more tools to accurately convey their emotions and sentiments.
Furthermore, recognizing the value of quick access to frequently used stickers, Instagram is introducing a “favorite” feature. This allows users to mark their preferred stickers, ensuring these are readily available for future use. By favoriting stickers, users can streamline their communication and effortlessly inject personality and emotion into their chats.
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