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Instagram Direct Messaging Feature for Web Spotted in Testing

Instagram Direct Messaging Feature for Web Spotted in Testing y5b5c

By Harpreet Singh | Updated: 13 February 2019 14:07 IST

Photo Credit: Twitter/ Jane Manchun Wong 4310l

Instagram may be internally testing its direct messaging feature on the web

Highlights

Instagram Direct messaging feature could be coming to the Web
Instagram seems to be internally testing the new feature
Currently, Instagram s need to use the mobile app for messaging

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If you spend a lot of time chatting on Instagram, there's good news for you. Instagram seems to be internally testing a Web version of its direct messaging service on the mobile app. This means Instagram s will be able to send messages, photos, emojis, to their friends via a desktop, laptop, PC, or a Mac. Instagram may also bring its direct messaging feature to its mobile website.

As of now, Instagram offers a pretty vanilla experience for desktop s. Web-based direct messages have been one of the most demanded features amongst Instagram s for a while now. Instagram s on the Web can't post stories from the desktop, but Facebook allows s to post stories from the web.

The feature was spotted by app researcher Jane Manchun Wong. While the feature isn't available to public s yet, Instagram seems to be internally testing it to weed out bugs and make improvements. Wong was able to access the feature on a desktop as well as a mobile browser.

Bringing Instagram Direct to the Web could help the company further increase engagement. Cross-platform messaging services make lives easier for s, and at times become a great alternative to SMS for s. Currently, s need access to Instagram's mobile apps to send and receive direct messages.

Instagram's Direct on Web will also be available on desktop pic.twitter.com/Y3iTIdDwKV
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 12, 2019

Facebook plans to integrate its major messaging services and products this year which include Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct. A Web presence for Instagram Direct seems like one of the first few steps in that direction.

However, Mark Zuckerberg has said the integration isn't planned for this year.

After cloning the stories format from Snapchat, Instagram's engagement rates have grown massively. Instagram's stories format now has over 500 million active daily s, according to the company.

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Further reading: Instagram Direct

Harpreet Singh

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Harpreet is the community manager at Gadgets 360. He loves all things tech, and can be found hunting for good deals when he is not shopping online. He has written about deals and e-commerce in India for many years, as well as covering social media and breaking technology news. More