Did we all get the Instagram memo?
Instagram has announced a new private messaging feature called Instagram Direct which will allow users to send a photo or video privately to up to fifteen followers. (finally!!)
“Sometimes you want to be able to share not with everyone, but just a specific group,” Instagram founder Kevin Systrom said at the company’s announcement in New York.
An update to the Instagram mobile app released Thursday includes a new tab labeled, “Direct.” Users can tap that tab to send photos specifically to their friends and have conversations around those photos. There will also be a new option to “send to 1” on the app.
The direct messaging feature will work in real time, allowing users to tell which of their friends have viewed the photo. They’ll also be able to chat with friends in real time.
From within Direct, you can exchange text messages that accompany the photos you send via Direct and engage in a back and forth conversation. You can’t otherwise send text-only messages or forward pictures.
The only people that can send photos to you are the people you follow. However you can receive.
As for the people who are on your list, you’ll know that they’ve seen what you’ve sent when their own profile picture materializes with a checkmark ( so don’t try to lie and say you haven’t seen it). When they like the picture, the checkmark turns to a heart.
What took them so long???
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