What you need to know
- Facebook is adding Instagram Direct to the Instagram web app.
- Previously, users had to rely on either the mobile/mobile web apps.
- Today's rollout is just a test, with only a few users gaining access to it.
Facebook will be adding Direct Messaging to Instagram's desktop site as of today, as per a report from The Verge.. It'll work much like how DMs work on mobile. Users will be able to create chats from the profile screen via a newly added "message" button, and you'll also be able to share posts to others via DM as well as receive notifications on your desktop if your browser supports it.
Previously, users had to make use of either the mobile app or the mobile website to send DMs, a move that was deeply frustrating if you wanted the larger space of a desktop keyboard and didn't use an Android app-enabled Chromebook or the Windows 10 app. Speaking of which, with Instagram replacing its native app with a web app, it wouldn't be a good look for Instagram to update its app and then actually lose functionality, especially with DMs which are a pretty sticky feature.
Unfortunately for users who want to try it now, it's not a global rollout. The Verge states it's just a limited test and only a small number of users will have access to it for the time being.
Facebook has doubled down on building out its messaging experiences over the last year. The firm launched Threads, a dedicated direct messaging app for Instagram. Facebook was said to be working on moving all its messaging services to a common, interoperable backend, with Facebook stating that Threads would be part of this.
However Facebook's messaging intentions may end up, with this new move, Instagram Direct joins Facebook's other apps on the desktop and increases its viability as a standalone messaging app in itself.
