Instagram Direct is getting new replay options to better compete with Snapchat

Instagram plans to introduce a couple of new features for Direct, which are meant to make the app more competitive in the instant messaging market. If you've been using Instagram Direct, then you already know how to use replay with messages, but if not here is a quick recap.

With Instagram Direct, you can replay temporarily all messages you receive before they would completely disappear, unlike Snapchat that allows its users to replay photo and video messages but with no possibility to disable the option.

Well, it looks like a new update will add a new set of replay options for those using Instagram Direct, which will allow them to send a photo or video and decide whether the recipient can view it once, replay it temporarily until it disappears, or see a permanent thumbnail of it in the chat log.

According to Instagram officials, these changes are meant to offer users “more control of what they share with friends in Direct.” The new chat options should be available for some since Instagram has been rolling them out since last month.