Instagram is testing its direct messaging (DM) feature for the web according to app researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who overnight tweeted a screenshot picture of the feature.
The desktop (web) version of Instagram is currently a minimal and very pared back version compared to the dedicated mobile app. Using the web app, there’s no way to upload and – before now – no way to access messages either.
The company has stated it has “no plans to let users upload photos or stories from the desktop”. However, Instagram, is testing the ability to send and receive direct messages through the web portal.
Instagram is testing Direct on Web pic.twitter.com/bpdY9bep24
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 12, 2019
There could be a multiple reasons for Intagram looking at launching direct messages on the web portal, given the company has built a completely standalone messaging app, called Direct, which it has begun testing in six countries in 2017.
Given this, it would seem that making DM’s accessible on the web desktop could be a sign that direct messaging has taken some importance to the Instagram team. Though it could also be a possible consolidation of services and apps, which Facebook has said it plans to consolidate Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram DMs into a single, unified platform also.
Whatever the plans, it will be interesting to see what else Instagram plan to bring to its web version going forward.
sounds good. i actually need it so hard