You can now add nicknames and share live location in chats on Instagram

Instagram is introducing several new direct messaging (DM) features to make catching up with friends a more expressive experience, the company announced Monday. It now allows users to customize chats by adding nicknames and offers a Snapchat-like location sharing feature that lets them send their location to their loved ones or locate them in crowded places. This rollout builds on recent feature introductions to the social media platform, such as sorting message requests in DMs with filters and removing auto-refresh feeds.

New features on Instagram

Instagram detailed the new additions to its platform in a blog after. The social media platform highlighted that users can now customize chats in DMs by adding nicknames. The function appears as Nicknames by tapping the profile in chat and also gives users the option to select who can edit them. They can choose from three settings: everyone in this chat, people you follow, and just you. Nicknames on Instagram are only visible in DMs and do not affect the username anywhere else in the app.

Gadgets 360 employees were able to verify the availability of the nickname feature on the Instagram app for Android, but not on the iOS version.

Another new feature on Instagram is location sharing, which is said to work similarly to Snapchat’s Snap Map. According to the social media platform, users can share their live location for up to an hour, after which it expires. They can also pin a spot on the map, making them easier to find in busy places. The company says this feature only works in private chats in one-on-one or group chats. It is disabled by default and is available in certain countries.

In addition to the above-mentioned features, Instagram is also introducing 17 new sticker packs with over 300 stickers in DMs. Users can favorite stickers from chats or reuse stickers created from cutouts or shared by their friends in DMs.