New features coming to Facebook-owned Instagram and Messenger chats: all the news from the social network
New and interesting features are coming to Mark Zuckerberg-owned Instagram and Messenger chats for a completely revamped messaging experience. In addition to being able to watch real-time videos with friends with Watch Together, you’ll be able to customize your chats with new TinyTAN themes.
Facebook’s goal seems to be not only to move toward unifying the chats of the various apps it owns, but to want to create a whole new way of communicating. For example, allowing multiple contacts to watch a video from Reels, IGTV or even TV shows directly in conversation with friends. Also interesting is the announcement of a “disappearing mode”, reminiscent of ephemeral messages just arrived on WhatsApp, with sent messages disappearing from the chat history immediately after being viewed by the recipient.
Watch Together: what it is and how it works
The first feature is called Watch Together and is already available in the United States for those who upgrade to the latest version of Instagram. By starting a video chat on Instagram or Messenger with your contacts and clicking on the button at the bottom right you can select the item TV and movies will be able to choose videos to watch from a wide selection of content including IGTV, Reels, TV shows, movies and trending videos.
In addition, the social network is working to bring two original shows exclusively to its messaging platforms: Here for It with digital creator Avani Gregg and Post Malone’s Celebrity World Pong League with the Grammy-nominated rap superstar.
Customize chats with TinyTAN themes
Another new feature will allow users to customize their conversations by including themes with TinyTAn, a group of characters created by the seven members of BTS. After updating the app, emoji and new characters will be able to make both Instagram and Messenger chats special, to be always original with your friends.
Instagram and Messenger: disappearance mode
Among the new features announced by Instagram with a post on the official blog there is also the “disappearance mode”, which allows you to set the deletion of a message immediately after the recipient has viewed it. A feature, Instagram explains, designed to ensure the safety of users who want to send a spontaneous message or reaction without it being stored in the chat history and reminiscent of ephemeral messages on WhatsApp, also a Facebook-owned app.
The feature will initially only be available between contacts who already follow each other on Instagram or are connected on Messenger. In addition, if someone captures a screenshot of the conversation, the other user will receive a notification and allow them to decide whether to block or report the contact they were messaging with.