We haven’t heard much about Instagram Direct ever since the feature launched in late 2013, but apparently it’s got some fans, because Instagram today announced that it’s beefing up Direct.
Instagram Direct now includes threaded messaging that allows you send photos, videos, text, and emoji to another person or a group of users. You can also set a name for a group of people that you contact frequently. Also included in these threaded messages is a quick selfie button for when you just want to send a reply with your face.
In addition to taking a photo and sharing it via Instagram Direct, you can now share other people’s Instagram posts with your friends in Instagram Direct. Just tap the arrow button underneath a photo or video and you can share it with another person or a group of people.
Instagram says that there are more than 85 million people using Direct every month, so apparently there is a crowd that likes to chat and send photos privately using the feature. Today’s updates add major enhancements to Instagram Direct, and so the people that are already using it ought to be pretty pleased. And hey, maybe the new goodies will even convince some folks to try Instagram for sending photos with their friends rather than Snapchat or some other service.
