Instagram is finally bringing direct messages to the web. Starting today, a “small percentage” of the platform’s global users will be able to access their DMs from Instagram’s website. Much like on your phone, you can participate in regular and group chats, share photos, ‘like’ messages and receive notifications. More news on a possible wider release is coming in the future.
The strategy is in line with Facebook’s broader goal of a more private experience with a greater focus on messaging than in the past. It ultimately hopes to offer unified messaging across its core plaforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Facebook has increasingly placed a focus on messaging over the past year. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told The New York Times last spring that “private messaging, groups, and Stories” were the “three fastest-growing areas of online communication.” Instagram Stories are already on the web, and with today’s announcement, Instagram now allows some of its users to access group chats and private messages from the browser, too, which aligns with what Zuckerberg said he and the company would prioritize.
