Instagram has rolled out new features to enhance private chats, including live location sharing, new stickers, and personalized nicknames.
Live Location Sharing
Users in select regions can now share their live location privately within direct messages (DMs) for up to an hour. This feature aids in coordinating meetups and tracking arrivals. Users can pin specific locations on a map for precise sharing. The feature is opt-in and visible only to chat participants, with an indicator alerting users when active. It cannot be forwarded and can be disabled anytime.
New Stickers and Favorites
Instagram has added 17 new sticker packs with over 300 stickers to enhance DM communication. Users can save frequently used stickers with a new favorite feature. This complements existing features like those found in Roblox.
Personalized Nicknames
Users can now set personalized nicknames for themselves and friends within individual DMs. These nicknames are private to each chat and do not affect public usernames. Users can control who can change nicknames, with the default setting allowing only followed users to make changes. This offers a similar level of personalization as seen in Bluesky's decentralized account verification.
These updates aim to make Instagram DMs more personal, private, and engaging, similar to the personalized experience offered by Koofr Cloud Storage. The features are expected to roll out more broadly over time.