Instagram just gave its messaging app a suite of killer free upgrades

There are a multitude of messaging platforms out there, from WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, to Signal and Instagram DMs. There's a good chance you don't use just one of them either. If you're anything like us, it probably depends on who you are talking to as to which of these options pops up in your notifications.

Hot on the heels of WhatsApp adding new features to its offering with chat themes, Meta has now given Instagram some update treatment, posting the details on its official blog, which was spotted by TechRadar.

What are the new Instagram DM features and how do I use them?

Sliding into Instagram's DMs is the ability to schedule a message, translate a message, pin messages to the top of a chat and integrate music.

Starting with scheduling messages – which is something Apple's iMessage added as a feature with iOS 18. With the update, it's now possible to write out your Instagram message as you would if you were sending it immediately so you can include whatever emojis or GIFs you might want to add too, and then you can schedule it for up to 29 days in the future. The feature applies to both individual messages on Instagram, as well as group messages.

To schedule a message, type your message and hold down on the send button. Select the date and time that your message will be sent, and then tap on the "Send" button to finish scheduling it.

When it comes to the translation feature, the Instagram update will see you being able to translate a message from another language directly from the Instagram app.

In order to do it, you press and hold on the message and select the translate option, which will allow you to then pick one of 99 languages to translate into. Sorry, Google Translate who?

Elsewhere, the latest update allows you to pin up to three messages to the top of an individual Instagram chat, or a group chat. The idea is to make sure important information, like dinner plans or details of a weekend trip away don't get lots in the noise of the chat.

Last but not least is the ability to share your favourite music tracks within your Instagram chats so you can listen simultaneously. You'll be able to search for your favourite songs directly from the Instagram app itself so no need to open a separate streaming service, and it works in a similar way to how you pick music for an Instagram Story or Reel.

To share a song, open the sticker tray in your chat and tap on the 'Music' option to search for any song in the Instagram audio library. Tapping on the track will send a 30-second preview.