Instagram, private messages also arrive on the desktop: This is how they will be

Instagram has finally made available for a limited selection of users, the internal private messaging system also on the web, and via desktop. At the moment, the function is only available in the test phase for a small number of users; once the first obstacle has been passed, it will be distributed to everyone globally. The interface will be taken from what we already know on the mobile app, as well as the functionality will be identical.

The experience of the messaging part will be essentially the same both on mobile and on the browser. You can create new groups or start new conversations, both from the same screen as the DM (Direct Messages), and from the user’s profile page.

There will be the possibility to double-click on the message to ” like ” it, and it will be possible to share photos from the desktop or see the number of unread messages present. The browser can also manage notifications on incoming messages and receive them just like on smartphones, and the first tests will take place on this function.

The news was reported by Instagram’s official Twitter account, and the company replied to a very short interview with TheVerge that the new feature would help users ” stay in touch more easily with the people they care about most. ” In its responses, the company hinted that the web has a higher priority for Instagram than other functions, such as an iPad app, with the latter version not on the development team’s priority lists.

The arrival of the DM on the web is in line with the strategy of the last few months of Facebook, a company of which Instagram is part. The Zuckerberg-based company is looking forward to unifying all messaging services and make them available on an ever-growing number of devices and platforms. At the moment, we do not know how extensive the test and the timing within which the extended roll-out of the feature is planned is not known.

I don’t want to wait; I want the DMs on the browser right away!

We close this piece with a tip for users who use Chrome (but in reality, the trick works on any browser with a developer mode). Anyone wishing to send or receive private Instagram messages on their computer or notebook can simply visit Instagram, log in and press F12 (or alternatively CTRL + Shift + i still press the right button on the page and select Inspect).

In the DevTools screen that appears, then you need to press the button that represents a smartphone and a tablet (on the top menu bar). The Instagram page is now seen with the typical mobile view: at this point, just reload the page to see the icon at the top right to access private messages. The operation is not entirely optimal, the essential functions are present and exploitable by the user.