Instagram has rolled out new features to enhance its Direct Messages (DMs), including the ability to share live locations and assign nicknames to friends.
The update also introduces 17 new sticker packs, giving users more options for personalising their chats.
The live location feature allows users to share their real-time whereabouts with friends for up to one hour at a time. It is designed to help friends find each other at events like concerts or outings.
This feature is available in one-on-one and group chats, but is turned off by default. It works similarly to Snapchat’s SnapMap, though without the map view that displays everyone who shares their location.
Photo: Instagram
Additionally, Instagram users can now assign nicknames to their friends in group chats. These names are private within the chat and cannot be seen by outsiders.
If users do not like the nicknames given to them, they have the option to lock others out from editing their names. This feature allows for a more personalised chat experience.
Along with location sharing and nicknames, Instagram is introducing 17 new sticker packs, bringing more than 300 new stickers. Users can mark stickers as favourites, reuse them, and even create their own stickers using the cutout feature or AI.
Photo: Instagram
Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, commented last week that the app is shifting focus to improve its messaging experience, as users are increasingly engaging with DMs. As part of this shift, the company is testing a new placement for the chat icon, moving it to the centre-bottom of the app for easier access.
For now, these new features are only available in select countries, though Instagram has not specified which regions are included in the rollout.
