Instagram unveils its newest feature: #InstagramDirect. Now you can send photos and videos to groups of friends or just a special someone.
What do you think of the new feature? How will you use it?
To access Instagram Direct, simply tap the "inbox" button that appears on your may feed screen in Instagram.
The inbox has two areas. Photos that appear in the inbox are photos from people you follow. If someone you don't follow has sent you a photo, it shows up in a different area called "pending requests."
Tapping the pending requests box opens up that area where you can choose to accept, deny or ignore a request.
Never fear, accepting a photo from someone doesn't mean you have to follow them, it just means they can send you that one image. If they want to send another, the request will show up in the pending inbox. Only users you explicitly follow show up in your inbox.
A photo looks just like a regular Instagram shot. You can comment and reply to that photo, and like it, in this private view.
Instagram Direct also supports video. Just look for the video watermark. Video playback isn't automatic, you tap to play on the image.
One of the nice things about the way that direct works is that a user can send someone they follow an image, even if they don't necessarily want their main photos to be visible.
Thomas has made his account private and I don't have access to his photos. Yet he is still able to send me a photo that I can choose to accept or deny. I accepted the photo and we can have conversation around that image, but I don't get access to anything else Thomas has ever published.
Snap a photo the same way you would with anything else in Instagram.
Then tap on either "followers" or "direct" in the "share to" area at the top.
If you tap "direct," a new screen opens and allows you to select who gets to see the photo or video.
Typing in a person's name or screename is one of the easiest ways to find your friend. The system is quite fast at finding people you want to share with.
As you use the system, the more people you frequently connect with will get higher priority in the "suggested" area.
In the future Instagram says it's looking at adding lists and groups.
You are limited to sharing an image with 15 people.
After selecting your recipients and adding a caption, the image is sent off.
Here's what's cool -- if you send an image to someone who doesn't follow you, their avatar is lightened until they accept your request to send a photo.
This is a great way to see if someone has seen or accepted your photo request, just look to see if the avatar is faded or full color.
It's also a good cue to find out who is following you and who isn't -- so that you can bug your boss to follow you already. *cough*FollowMeLance*cough*
You can reply to an Instagram direct photo with another photo or video. This creates a new conversation -- it doesn't add another photo inline to the existing chat.
You only get a notification when someone you follow sends you a photo.
Tapping on the notification opens up the image inside your inbox.
At a "mystery press event" in New York City on Thursday, Instagram unveiled Instagram Direct, a new way for users to send photos to private groups or individuals.
No, Instagram isn't becoming Snapchat (at least, not yet), but the service and social network is more deeply embracing user-to-user communication. "Photos, when they are transmitted, become communication," Instagram cofounder and CEO Kevin Systrom said at the event. That communication gets more sophisticated with Instagram Direct.
See also: 16 Creative Uses of Instagram Video
Instagram Direct is now available for iOS and Android, and we've spent some time using the new features and figuring out some of its nuances, especially when it comes to sending messages to users you don't follow or don't follow you. Below, we break down what the service is useful for and how it works.
Instagram Direct is designed around the idea that sometimes, you don't want to share a photo with the world; instead, you want to share it with a specific person or a small group.
In addition to photos that users may not want to be public (many parents are uncomfortable sharing photos of their children on social media), Instagram Direct can serve as a great way to share a photo or moment with a group of people who are all either in the photo or might find it valuable.
If I'm at a concert and take a really great shot, I can share it to my main Instagram feed, but I really want the people who are with me to see the photo, too. Sending it via Instagram Direct, which would be a second, separate share from the pic on my main feed, means those friends won't need to search to find the photo in their feeds.
Instagram Direct is also interesting because users can exchange photos without following each other. For instance, I took this Instagram photo of a few of the guys at Thursday's press event. John Gruber (right) and Clayton Morris (center) don't follow me on Instagram, but using Instagram Direct, I can send them the photo. If they choose to accept it, they can view and comment on it.

If a user you follow sends a photo or video using Instagram Direct, it goes into your Instagram Direct inbox. Open the photo or video to comment, Like or reply with a new photo or video.
However, if a user you don't follow sends a photo, it pops up as a "pending" request. You can choose to either approve or deny the request. If you approve it, the Instagram Direct photo shows up in your inbox. If you deny, it disappears into the ether.
You can send an Instagram Direct to up to 15 users at once. The idea is not to "spam your friends," as Kevin Systrom said, but instead to share to more private, specific groups.
If you accept a pending request, you don't necessarily have to follow that user. It only means you are agreeing to view that specific photo or video. You won't see that person's photos in your stream, nor will he or she show up as someone you follow on Instagram.
If that same user wants to send you another photo or video, the request will still go to the pending inbox. Instagram says the idea is to primarily exchange photos and videos with your friends and acquaintances. If you want to see every image a user sends your way without visiting the pending inbox, then you'll need to begin following that user.
Yes. One of the nice things about Instagram Directs privacy settings is that you can share an image with someone specific, even if all your photos are private. This includes sharing with people who are not permitted to access your entire stream.
By default, you will only get a notification on your phone if someone you follow sends you an Instagram Direct photo. You can enable the option to be specifically notified of any Direct requests. Within Instagram, you can view a counter on the inbox icon when new messages are delivered.
You can't save designed groups just yet. Systrom said the team was focused on finishing the first iteration of Instagram Direct and the goal was to keep it simple. Future enhancements will come after the company can get user feedback and requests.
Instagram doesn't actively filter photos for content. That said, if a user reports you or your photo as inappropriate, you could be banned from the service. But if that's the case, you should just be using Snapchat.
Instagram Direct is a completely separate product from Facebook's messages. This makes sense if you think about your Instagram social graph. I'm not Facebook friends with everyone I follow on Instagram; I also don't follow all of my Facebook friends on Instagram. You can use the Facebook Connect search to find your Facebook friends on Instagram, but the two groups and services are still separate.
Right now, this is a purely mobile product. You can't view photos from Instagram Direct on the web. We imagine that if brands are going to use the feature for contests or in a call for fan photos, Instagram might have to look at creating a more robust system for managing pending requests and messages. Some brands, like Gap, have already experimented.
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Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker