Instagram Finally Brings Direct Messages to Web, Reportedly Adds Support for Live Streams Also

Instagram seems to be working on adding Web-based functionalities to the platform. The Facebook-owned photo sharing platform has finally rolled out direct messaging for the desktop website. The feature for adding direct messages support for the Web comes after months of testing from Instagram. Apart from introducing access to direct messages on the Web, Instagram has also brought support for 'Instagram Live' on desktop, according to multiple reports and verified by us. The introduction of direct messages on the web comes as Facebook's broader vision for a larger focus on private messaging.

Bringing direct messages on the Web has been on Instagram's agenda for quite some time now. The Facebook-owned platform has been testing the feature for desktop browsers since January. Now, finally, Instagram has announced the development on Twitter, saying users can now "send Instagram Direct messages on desktop, no matter where they are in the world," indicating that the feature has rolled out globally for every user.

The direct messages feature on Instagram has not changed much from that of the mobile app. The option for direct messages appears on the top right corner of the screen, with the chat window coming with pretty much the same user interface as that of the mobile application, with the emoji keyboard and the option to share photos and videos.

Apart from the direct messages support on the web, Instagram also looks to have made live streams viewable on the Web. First noted by Android Police, which first spotted the development, the Web interface for Instagram Live shows the comments on the side of the screen, instead of the transparent comments over the live stream as seen in the mobile application.

We were able independently verify the feature is live on the desktop version of Instagram, by seeing a Instagram Live by two separate publications on the Web. As mentioned by Android Police, Instagram Live on the Web seems to provide a better and uncluttered view for the stream, with the comments neatly separated from the main content. We have asked Instagram for comment on the rollout, and will update this space as and when we receive a response.

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