2025 appears to be the year when big tech platforms slide into people’s DMs… with news about how those direct messages are evolving. Hot on the heels of Spotify bringing messaging back to its app, Instagram and TikTok have made some DM announcements.
Instagram is launching some new tools to help creators and businesses with bigger audiences manage their inboxes. Multi-select filters, custom shortcuts and the ability to create new inbox folders are aimed at decluttering the incoming flood of messages for those accounts.
As for TikTok, it’s update is focused on regular users, who will now be able to send voice notes and up to nine photos or videos in their messages within its app. That’s another move into WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram territory for TikTok, which wants to be seen as a communications platform as much as a video app. The news follows its launch of a dedicated ‘Creator Inbox’ feature and ‘Creator Chat Rooms’ in July.