Nairobi News

In an effort to foster stronger connections and streamline communication, Instagram is rolling out a number of new Direct Message (DM) features.

These updates are designed to give users more control over their conversations, expression and inbox organisation.

Toggle Read Receipts
One of the most notable additions is the ability to toggle read receipts on or off for individual chats or all conversations.

This feature gives users the flexibility to decide when they want to reveal whether or not they’ve read a message.

Users can easily manage their preferences by navigating to their account settings, tapping on messages and story replies, and toggling the “Show read receipts” option.

Pin chats to the top of your inbox
Another welcome feature is the ability to pin important chats to the top of the inbox. Users can now prioritise up to three group or one-to-one chats for quick access.

This feature is particularly useful for conversations with close friends or family, ensuring they remain prominently displayed for quick reference.

To pin a conversation, users can swipe left or tap and hold the conversation they want to pin. Conversely, unpinning a chat is just as simple, giving users dynamic control over their inbox organisation.

Edit your messages

In addition, Instagram is introducing the ability to edit messages within a 15-minute window after they are sent.

This long-awaited feature addresses common communication mishaps such as typos or inaccuracies, allowing users to quickly correct mistakes.

By tapping and holding on a sent message and selecting ‘edit’ from the drop-down menu, users can effortlessly make corrections, improving the clarity and accuracy of their conversations.

Save your favourite stickers and upgrade your replies

You can now save your favourite stickers in DMs for easy access. Tap and hold on to the sticker you want to save, and it’ll be at the top of the list the next time you go to Stickers.

Stickers, GIFs, videos, photos and voice messages are also available when you reply to a message. Just tap and hold the message you want to reply to, select Reply and you’ll see the options.

Personalise your chats with more themes

Set the mood for your chat with themes. Whether you’re planning a meeting or just having some fun with friends, there’s a theme for it. The latest themes include Love (soon to be animated), Lollipop, Avatar: The Last Airbender and many more.

To change the theme for a chat, tap on the chat name at the top, go to Themes and select one of the available themes.

Pin chats to the top of your inbox
For chats you have with your best friends or family, or just chats you want to see at the top of your inbox, you’ll soon be able to pin up to three group or 1:1 chats for easy access.

To pin a chat to the top of your inbox, swipe left or tap and hold the chat, then tap “Pin”. You can unpin a topic at any time.