New on Instagram: Live location, fun stickers and DM nicknames; Check details

Instagram is enhancing Direct Messaging with new features like location sharing, custom nicknames, and a wider selection of stickers. These updates aim to improve user interaction and offer more personalized communication options within the platform.

Instagram is improving the Direct Messaging (DM) experience by introducing new features. According to the parent company of the photo-sharing website, Meta, these modifications will foster greater user interaction and creative self-expression. The most recent version includes 17 new sticker packs, lets users customize chats with aliases, and even adds a location-sharing feature similar to WhatsApp. Users will be able to monitor themselves in congested situations or communicate their whereabouts with loved ones thanks to this capability.

This deployment builds upon other feature enhancements, such as the elimination of automatic feed updating and improved message request sorting in direct messages using filters. Building on the platform's recent initiatives to optimize interactions and enhance user control over their social media experience, these enhancements seek to provide a more customizable and user-friendly experience.

Location sharing

Instagram users may now pin a location on the map to plan activities and arrival times, share their current position for up to an hour, and utilize direct messages to locate one another in congested areas. In addition to helping users spend more time together and less time organizing, this function is perfect for events like concerts, trips, or get-togethers.

Live location expires after one hour and may only be shared privately in 1:1 or group conversations. By default, it is off, and the location may only be viewed by individuals in the particular chat.

Users will be reminded that they are sharing their location at the top of the conversation via an indication, and the location cannot be sent to other chats. You may always turn off location sharing. Sharing location information with individuals you know in real life is crucial. It's crucial to remember that location sharing is only accessible in a few countries.

Instagram DM Nicknames

Users may now add nicknames for themselves or their friends to make their DMs more unique. Nicknames will only show up in direct messages and won't change the username elsewhere on Instagram, whether it's an inside joke to make friends laugh or a way to shorten lengthy identities for better recognition. Users can alter their nicknames at any moment and have complete control over them.

They can also choose who is permitted to change their moniker in a conversation. Users can modify this setting to allow just the user to edit their nickname, while by default, only those they follow can do so. To create a nickname, users can tap the chat name at the top of the conversation, then select "Nicknames" and choose the person they want to add a nickname for.

New stickers for Instagram direct messages:

With 17 new sticker packs and more than 300 new stickers, users can now express themselves more creatively in direct messages. These stickers are ideal for expressing emotions or responding to humorous reels when words alone are insufficient. Additionally, users may now simply reuse stickers created with cutouts or from friends via favorite stickers shared in conversations.