Key Takeaways
- Instagram is rolling out live location sharing in DMs for up to an hour. The feature is off by default and works in 1:1 or group chats.
- DMs on Instagram now include 17 new sticker packs with over 300 stickers.
- You can now also customize names in Instagram DMs with nicknames for yourself or friends.
Meta owns both Instagram and WhatsApp, so it’s no surprise these two platforms keep borrowing features from each other. Instagram has had a big influence on WhatsApp, shaping how Stories, status updates, and disappearing messages work. Recently, WhatsApp also got the ability to tag contacts in status updates, a feature Instagram has had for a while. And now, Instagram is picking up a feature from WhatsApp – the option to share your live location with friends in DMs.
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Instagram announced in a blog post that it’s rolling out a live location-sharing feature in some countries, though it didn’t say which ones (via The Verge). You’ll be able to share your live location for up to an hour or drop a pin on the map so you can find your friends and family when arriving at concerts, outings, and other gatherings.
The live location feature works only in DMs, either in a 1:1 chat or a group chat. It’s off by default, expires after an hour, and won’t let you forward your location to other chats. WhatsApp, on the other hand, lets you share your live location for up to 8 hours. While sharing, only the people in that specific chat can see where you are, and you’ll get a little reminder at the top of the chat so you don’t forget it’s on.
Instagram is getting sticker packs and nicknames too
Instagram DMs also got 17 new sticker packs, adding over 300 stickers you can drop into chats with friends. You can even favorite the stickers your friends send you, reuse them later, or create your own using the cutouts feature. Plus, the social media app now lets you customize names in DMs by adding a nickname for yourself or your friends. Nicknames only appear in your DMs and won’t change your username anywhere else on Instagram. You’ll be able to change your nickname anytime and decide who can change it within a chat.
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