Instagram for iOS has been updated to version 5.0, adding the company's Instagram Direct feature that was announced this morning. Instagram Direct is designed to allow users to send photo and video messages to private groups.

The update brings a new icon to the top right corner of the home feed, which includes an inbox listing photos and videos that have been sent to each user. Photos can be privately sent by selecting a new option to send a "Direct" photo to one or more people. Direct photos include read receipts, along with support for commenting and likes.

instagramdirect
While photos and videos sent from followed users will appear automatically in an inbox, other Direct images from non-followed users will appear as a request that can be accepted or denied.

Along with direct photos, Instagram 5.0 also includes bug fixes and performance enhancements.

Introducing Instagram Direct!

We're excited to introduce Instagram Direct, a new way to send photo and video messages to your friends.

Now you'll see a new icon in the top right corner of your home feed. Tap it to see photos and videos that people have sent directly to you.

To send your own photos or videos, choose Direct instead of Followers once you've edited your post. When you're done editing, just choose the people you want to share with.

Today’s update also includes bug fixes and performance improvements

Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

BrentD Avatar
147 months ago
Man. Just the other day I was thinking, "IF ONLY there were some way to directly send a friend a picture or video from my phone!"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Urban Joe Avatar
147 months ago
Private ... LMAO

Does anybody in their right mind actually believe this is private?
Post PC era = end of privacy
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrentD Avatar
147 months ago
Instagram is cross-platform. That's the beauty over brand or device type specific services; i.e. iMessage and text messages, respectfully.
Thanks, Debbie... :D:p But so is email!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro Max Allegedly Same Size Apart From Thickness

Friday March 7, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Apple's all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air shares the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the only difference being in the thickness of the devices, according to the leaker Ice Universe. Posting to their Weibo account, the Chinese leaker today claimed that the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max have identical body length, width, screen size, and bezels. "The only difference is the...
2016 12 inch macbook feature

Apple Introduced Its Most Controversial MacBook 10 Years Ago Today

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:00 am PST by
Apple announced the infamous 12-inch Retina MacBook a decade ago today, an experimental new Mac that was as controversial as it was revolutionary. Apple unveiled the 12-inch MacBook on March 9, 2015, at the "Spring Forward" event in San Francisco, California. The event was primarily focused on the Apple Watch, which was being fully detailed ahead of its launch the following month, so the...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Tuesday March 4, 2025 3:15 pm PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Said to Be Thicker to Accommodate Larger Battery

Friday March 7, 2025 2:47 am PST by
Apple has increased the thickness of the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max compared to the current generation iPhone 16 Pro Max, claims the Chinese leaker known as Ice Universe. Apple is said to have increased the depth of the iPhone 17 Pro Max to 8.725mm, up from 8.25mm on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which would be a 0.475mm difference in thickness. The increase "surely means a larger battery,"...
Apple MacBook Air hero

New MacBook Air Quietly Fixes This Decades-Long Design Oversight

Friday March 7, 2025 6:58 am PST by
In a move that probably won't make headlines but should delight detail-oriented Mac users everywhere, Apple has quietly corrected a 26-year-old design inconsistency on its keyboards. The Mute key, a staple on Mac keyboards since the PowerBook G3 'Lombard' debuted in 1999, has finally received a logical redesign on the new MacBook Air with M4 chip. As spotted by iCulture, the key now displays ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Apple Delays Apple Intelligence Siri Features

Friday March 7, 2025 9:35 am PST by
Apple is delaying some of the Apple Intelligence Siri features that it expected to release in iOS 18, an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to Daring Fireball. Apple says that it is going to take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized Siri experience, and that these features will be rolled out "in the coming year.""Siri helps our users find what they need and get things...