Instagram is adding new features for DMs

Instagram is adding a handful of new features to direct messages, including photo editing capabilities and stickers.

Users will be able to edit photos by drawing on them or adding stickers before sending them via DM, similar to editing features that already exist for Instagram Stories. The company also said users will be able to make their own custom stickers from existing photos and use them in DMs. Put together, the photo editing tools in chats are expanding to be closer to Stories.

Instagram is also adding new chat themes that change the look and design of DMs, like a fall theme or one promoting a new album by pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Users can also now add a birthday cake icon to Notes, the away status-like blurb that is visible at the top of users’ DM inboxes.

Direct messaging has been an area of growth for Instagram, according to company head Adam Mosseri, so it’s not surprising that there’s an emphasis placed on new tools and features. In fact, messaging is so important that Instagram uses it in part to rank content on the platform: in July, Mosseri said that a key thing Instagram looks at for ranking is how much a post is sent via DMs.

“Think about making content that people would want to send to a friend, to someone that they care about, and it will help your reach over time,” he said in a video.