Instagram Is Testing Direct Messages For The Web

A current internal test could be the premise for Instagram to launch Direct Messages for the web, ending years of its mobile-only approach.

If you’re the chatty one, this will certainly be good news for you. According to report from Instagram tipster Jane Manchun Wong, Instagram is currently working on a new feature that will bring Direct Messages to the Web.

Messaging is one of the top driver of engagement for social media apps. Facebook knows it very well, being one of the first social platforms to introduce a messaging feature, and the first to build a stand-alone app for it. Today Messenger is undoubtedly one of the most used messaging services.

What do we need? Instagram Direct on the Web! When do we need it? NOW (Good news, it’s coming!)

Click To Tweet

It seems clear that growth will come through expanding beyond its own mobile app for Instagram. The company has worked hard to develop its desktop Web interface recently but it still lacks of the basic functionalities, likes the ability to post a picture or a video for example (although there is a work around, How To Post On Instagram From Your Laptop.)

In the current design, Direct Messages on the Web are accessible from a Direct arrow icon in the top right corner of the screen. So far it seems to offer all the features that one can find using Direct on a phone.

Instagram Direct for the Web – Credits: Jane Manchun Wong

The move is probably part of Facebook’s ambition to regroup all of its messaging platforms – Messenger, Instagram Direct and WhatsApp – under one umbrella for people and businesses to manage more efficiently.