Instagram is rolling out some more DM updates, as it continues to focus on building out its messaging features, in line with usage shifts.
First off, Instagram’s adding new filters to your inbox, so you can easily sort your messages based on variable parameters,
As you can see in these examples, you’ll now be able to sort your DMs by:
- Story replies
- Unread
- Unanswered
- Followers
- Verified users
To be clear, Instagram added various DM filters for Creator accounts last November (including the Verified filter), but it’s now giving a wider range of users access to even more inbox filters, to help ensure that you’re able to stay across the most important messages for your efforts.
You’ll also be able to add or remove any filter (other than “Requests”), while you’ll also be able to customize your shortcuts, by rearranging the order of the pills at the top of your inbox, giving you even more ways to manage your IG DMs.
In addition to this, Instagram’s also giving users the capacity to create their own DM folders (via the “Folders” option), which will provide another way to maintain your messages.
So really, these are admin-focused updates, which will be helpful for those who get a lot of DMs, as opposed to functional changes in how the app works.
Which could be valuable. Instagram users are now far more likely to engage within their messages than via Stories or their main feed, and as such, being able to meet them where they are, and interact with them via the surface they feel most comfortable engaging with, could be a big boost.
Messaging is the most common usage trend in the app, and as such, there would be a lot of creators and brands, in particular, who are being overwhelmed by their DMs.
Instagram says that these updates will be made available to all Professional accounts and personal accounts with more than 100K followers.
