Facebook-owned Instagram has been facing competition from the likes of Snapchat and TikTok, but the popular app is now increasing its web-based functionalities to surge ahead of rivals. Instagram has now rolled out direct messaging for its desktop website. Additionally, it has introduced web support for ‘Instagram Live’ videos.
Direct messages on the desktop website have been in the works for a while now, given the importance placed by the group in private and secure messaging. This feature has been tested for desktop browsers since January 2020.
Instagram announced the new features on Twitter, saying that its users can “send Instagram Direct messages on desktop, no matter where they are in the world,” suggesting that the upgrades have been rolled out globally.
Their desktop version does not deviate from the layout and design language of the mobile app. The icon for direct messaging appears on the top right corner of the page, with the chat window mimicking that of the mobile app’s interface. The desktop version also incorporates an emoji keyboard and the option to share multimedia elements.
The ability to view live video streams on computers, which was first spotted by Android Police, is likely to boost engagement metrics, with more people multitasking on their computers, whilst working from home. The comments section is on the right side of the screen, as opposed to the transparent banner in the mobile app.
