Meta announced new updates for Instagram DMs on Wednesday, introducing several features designed to improve communication. These include message translation, music stickers, scheduled messages, pinned content, and group chat QR codes.
Instant Message Translation
Instagram now supports message translation in 99 languages, making it easier to communicate with friends and family worldwide.
To use the feature, hold down a message in a foreign language and tap “Translate.” The translation will appear beneath the original text. Meta notes that translated messages are shared with the company to help improve its translation services.
Share Music Without Leaving DMs
Users can now share songs directly within chats. To send a track, open the sticker tray, tap “Music,” search for a song in Instagram’s audio library, and send a 30-second preview. The preview appears as a spinning vinyl, and recipients can interact with the sticker to play, pause, fast-forward, or rewind the track.
Schedule Messages for Later
A new scheduling feature allows users to send messages at a specific time. To schedule a message, type the content, hold down the send button, select a date and time, and tap “Send.”
Scheduled messages remain visible only to the sender until they are delivered. These messages can be accessed at the bottom of the chat under “Scheduled message.”
Pin Messages in Chats
Following the introduction of pinned chat threads last year, Instagram now allows users to pin specific messages within conversations. To pin a message, image, meme, or Reel, hold it down and select “Pin.” Pinned messages appear as a banner at the top of the chat and are easily accessible at any time.
- Users can pin up to three messages per chat, with the oldest one being replaced by a new pin.
- Supported pinned content includes text, photos, videos, voice memos, GIFs, stickers, links, Reels, posts, music, and audio files.
Group Chat QR Code Invites
Instagram now offers QR codes for group chats, making it easier to invite new members. To generate a QR code, open a group chat, tap the group name, select “Invite link,” and tap “QR code.”
The code can be shared in person, via DM, or saved for later. Group admins have the ability to refresh the QR code at any time to manage access.
Availability
These features are gradually rolling out to both iOS and Android users, with web access expected to be available at a later date.