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Instagram Launches New Feature To Help Creators Sort DMs

The new feature could help creators sort the spam messages from their next big brand deal.

 & Will McCurdy Contributor

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Instagram has launched a new feature that will help content creators and influencers organize the “message requests” flowing into their inboxes. 

The new update will allow users to sort and filter their message requests—messages coming from people they don't follow—according to different metrics. These include the sender's follow count, whether or not they are verified, or if they come from another creator or a brand.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said the new feature could help busy creators identify the most useful and important messages from the hordes of people sliding into their DMs.

Mosseri claims that creators have been requesting this feature for some time. 

If you're interested in trying the new tool, then you can click the "Sort & Filter" button near the top of your screen, and then start filtering. 

“Now when you go to the requests inbox, sometimes it can be really overwhelming,” said Mosseri in a post on the platform. "There's a lot more to do to improve the inbox for creators and requests."

"But hopefully, this is one step in the right direction," he added.

Mosseri promised that Instagram will continue to invest in new features for DMs over time.

In addition, Instagram also rolled out a new “Story Replies” folder that will allow you to view all the replies to your stories in one place.

Instagram has added several other features in 2024 that could help busy content creators manage their time.

Instagram's parent company Meta has allowed cross-posting between Facebook and Instagram for quite some time, but in August this year, it extended that functionality to also include X-competitor Threads.

Users can choose to have all their Instagram content cross-posted automatically, or instead opt-in each time they post.

In September, it gave users the option to comment on their friend's stories for the first time, provided that accounts follow you back.

The photo-sharing platform has also been making moves to improve safety for the millions of teens using its platform, rolling out a new education campaign to protect teens from "Sextortion" scams earlier this year.

About Our Expert

Will McCurdy

Will McCurdy

Contributor

I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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