Instagram’s Private Story Update Will Totally Change How You Use Group Chat

Instagram continues to forge ahead in its quest to be exactly like Snapchat.

Today, the popular social media app rolled out a new update to make direct messaging more intuitive and user-friendly.

After introducing disappearing photos and videos to Direct on Instagram back in November, the app has now made it so those pieces of media will appear in the same text threads as other messages with friends.

So, it's not that much of an update, but it certainly makes direct messaging a bit more seamless than it once was.

Before this update, Instagram initially featured these weird bubbles on the top bar to represent ephemeral photo and video messages from friends.

Now, after taking a not-so-subtle cue from Snapchat, Instagram combined these chats with the more permanent text DMs to create all-encompassing individual threads for one-on-one communication and group messages alike.

Your goofy, short-lived selfies can now reside in the same conversation as your lengthier, text-based messages.

Plus, the blue camera icon has now become much more accessible for users. You can find it in three different places on the Direct screen: at the bottom, next to each individual thread and within individual threads.

The update honestly seems like a total no-brainer, but I guess Instagram wants to pretend it's not just copying literally everything Snapchat does.

Although, it's true the photo-sharing app has been keen to maintain a few unique features not available on Snapchat.

For example, even if a photo or video you send disappears in an Instagram Direct thread, the text will indicate a person sent that piece of media, even though it's gone.

If I had to guess, I'd say audio and video calls will be the next copycat move for Instagram.

Or, you know, maybe it'll get its own version of Bitmojis.

I mean, SOMEONE has to try and make Bitmojis cool. If that's even possible.

Citations: Instagram update makes direct messaging way less confusing (Mashable)