Instagram Rolls Out Nicknames, Live Location Sharing and More Features for DMs

Instagram is rolling out several new features for direct messages (DMs) to make catching up with friends a more expressive experience, the company announced on Monday. It now enables users to customise chats by adding nicknames and brings a Snapchat-like location sharing feature which allows them to send their location to their loved ones, or locate them in crowded places. This rollout builds upon recent feature introductions on the social media platform, such as sorting out message requests in DMs with filters and the removal of automatic feed refreshing.

New Features on Instagram

Instagram detailed the new additions to its platform in a blog post. The social media platform highlighted that users can now customise chats in DMs by adding nicknames. The feature appears as Nicknames by tapping the profile in the chat and also gives users the option to select who can edit them. They can choose from three settings: everyone in this chat, people you follow, and only you. Nicknames on Instagram are only visible in DMs and don't affect the username anywhere else on the app.

Gadgets 360 staff members were able to verify the availability of the nicknames feature on the Instagram for Android app but not on the iOS version.

Another new feature on Instagram is location sharing which is said to work along similar lines as Snapchat's Snap Map. As per the social media platform, it enables users to share their live location for up to one hour, after which it expires. They can also pin a spot on the map to make finding them easier in crowded places. The company says this feature only works in DMs in one-to-one or group chats. It is turned off by default and is available in select countries.

In addition to the aforementioned features, Instagram is also introducing 17 new sticker packs featuring over 300 stickers in DMs. Users can mark stickers as favourites from chats or reuse stickers created using cutouts or shared by their friends in DMs.