Thursday, December 12, 2013

Instagram Direct: Send private photos and videos to followers

Today, Instagram released an exciting new update to Android and  iOS launching an unanticipated new feature: Instagram direct. Instagram for iOS version 5.0 is available at the App Store, and Instagram for Android version 5.0 is available in Google Play.

Instagram direct lets you send photos and videos in a private message to a friend or to a group of people. What makes this different from your standard photo messaging apps is the included Instagram filters, which you can apply on your photos and videos. You can also comment and like (<3) the photo/video within the message. This leaves room for fun group chats on a photo depicting an inside joke.

Direct messaging has notably been absent from Instagram, which has been frustrating for people with large followers to communicate with their fans, causing them to resort to using third party apps like Kik Messsenger and BBM. Instagram direct is surely like rain to those stranded in the Sahara desert; now enabling those who've amassed large armies of followers to personally correspond with their favourites and plan their next attack.



Instagram has also changed the app design, although keeping the layout and filters unchanged. The design has a new camera icon and has subtly moved from its traditional blue tp inducing more black into the app.









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