Nov 26, 2024 10:23:00

Instagram adds location sharing feature, new stickers and more to direct messaging

On November 25, 2024 local time, Instagram announced that it has introduced several new features to direct messages (DMs). In addition to new stickers that can be used to communicate with friends, location sharing functionality has also been added.

Instagram Update: New DM Features for Connectivity & Creativity | About Instagram

https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/new-instagram-dm-features-update

Instagram rolling out Find My-like feature for sharing location
https://9to5mac.com/2024/11/25/instagram-location-find-my-friends/

According to Instagram, users often use DMs to stay in touch with friends and share their updates. To let you know how you're feeling or find time to meet in person, Instagram has added the following new features to help you connect with friends through DMs:

◆ 17 new sticker packs

We've added 17 new sticker packs for DMs, bringing the total to over 300 new stickers. You can now favorite stickers right from the chat, so you can reuse stickers your friends have shared with you or stickers you've created in

Cutouts .

◆You can add nicknames for yourself and your friends

You can now add nicknames for yourself and your friends to customise your names across your DMs. Nicknames can be used to share inside jokes to make your friends laugh, or to shorten a long username so it's easier to recognise. Nicknames only appear in your DMs and don't change your username anywhere else on Instagram. You're always in control of your nickname and can change it at any time. You can also decide who can change your nickname in your chats - by default only people you follow can update it, but you can change that so only you can.

To

create a nickname , tap the chat name at the top of the conversation, then tap 'Nicknames' and tap the username of the person you want to add a nickname to in the chat.

◆ Location sharing

DMs allow you to share your location for up to an hour, pin you on a map to coordinate arrival times or activities, and even find each other in crowded places - handy for concerts, outings, or friends get-togethers.

Location sharing can only be done privately in '1:1' or 'group chat' DMs, and will expire and become unavailable one hour after sharing begins. Location sharing is also turned off by default. When shared, only users in a specific chat can see the user's location, and it cannot be forwarded to other chats. An indicator will also be displayed at the top of the chat to remind you that you are sharing your location, and you can stop sharing your location at any time. Instagram also warns, 'Always be mindful of privacy and remember to only share your location with people you know in real life.'

Please note that the location sharing feature is only available in some countries at the time of writing.