Instagram Adds New DM Engagement Options

With DM usage on the rise on Instagram, the platform is now adding some new DM engagement features to spice up your private chats.

First off, Instagram’s adding drawing tools and stickers for images shared in DMs, providing another way to customize your messaging engagement.

While you’ve been able to customize your Stories and feed posts for some time, these options are now being added to your DM options, which will give people more considerations in their messaging process.

Instagram’s also expanding its cut-outs option to DMs, so you can use specific elements from your photos as stickers.

Instagram added cut outs for Stories back in May (as per the above example), and it’ll now also be available as an option for DM shares. So again, it’s a new feature, as such, but it’ll now be available in more places.

Instagram’s also adding new birthday indicators to users’ Notes bubble in your inbox, so you’ll know when their birthday is.

Which is always handy. I doubt that I’d remember anybody’s birthday if Facebook didn’t tell me, and this is another simple way to spark more engagement via IG DMs.

Bonus: There’s also a confetti animation when you tap a birthday note. 

Finally, Instagram’s also added some new chat themes for Fall.

“Change your chat theme to curate your own vibe just in time for moments we’re all chatting about, like “Fall” for your Pumpkin Spice vibe and “Sabrina Carpenter” in celebration of her new album.”

I’m not sure how much use chat themes see, but again, it’s another way to change things up, and spark more interest in your chats.

As noted, Instagram DMs are now seeing much more usage, with IG users now far more likely to engage within their messages than via Stories or the main feed. For most, Reels is now the primary consumption element, with users then sharing Reels with friends via DMs. That’s the most common usage trend in the app, which is a far cry from its digital photo album roots, and it’s important to note such shifts in your outreach and engagement process.

Instagram says the new DM elements are being rolled out to all users globally.