Instagram has a handful of updates to explore – some available to everyone, others in testing with a smaller group. First up there are updates to the handling of DMs, something Instagram is billing as being aimed at creators.
While creators’ inboxes are likely to be busier than the average person, everyone can use the new DM tools which provide new ways to sort and filter messages. Another exciting development sees the testing of picture-in-picture video mode for viewing Reels.
For now, it is the update to messaging that Instagram is focusing on, and this is the change that it is promoting right now. As it is available to everyone.
Via its Creators account, Instagram shared the following:
Managing your Messages inbox can take up a lot of time as a creator so we’re excited to share an update that will make it easier for you to find the messages that matter most to you! Starting today you can use a variety of new tools available within your inbox for a better experience!
The company goes on to explain what this means for users – that there is now the option to multi-select filters, use custom shortcuts and create new inbox folders for a “more simplified and smother Message experience”.
Instagram expands
The update gives a way to sort and filter messages in a variety of ways, including by Story replies, Unread, Unanswered, Followers, and Verified users. As Social Media Today notes, Instagram already updated DMs for creators with a number of filtering options. But now there are more filters and they are available to more people, not just those labelled creators.
That said, not everyone will be able to see these new options in their account. The update is hitting all Professional accounts and personal accounts with more than 100,000 followers – those who are more likely to receive a difficult-to-manage volume of message, in other words.
Potentially more interesting is the testing of picture-in-picture mode for viewing Reels. This is not something that is rolling out to all users yet, and only a small group of selected users is being shown a prompt to try out P-in-P mode.
This is not a completely surprising addition to Instagram – it is something we first heard about as a possibility some months ago. But it is also an area in which Instagram is playing catchup with other platforms which has included this option for some time now.
It is something that makes sense for users and Instagram alike. For users, it provides a way to multi-tasks, while for Instagram the appeal is more likely to be that it keeps people in the app for longer, scrolling more and looking at more content rather than getting distracted by something else.
Image credit: Ofx Studio / Dreamstime.com
