Instagram now lets users schedule direct messages, a feature first reported by TechCrunch. To use it, you can press and hold the “send” button, then select a specific date and time for your message to be sent.
According to Instagram’s support page, this feature is limited to text-only messages, meaning photos, videos, and GIFs still need to be sent in real-time. If you have a scheduled message in a chat, Instagram will display a notification indicating how many messages are scheduled. You can tap on the notification or long-press the message to delete it or send it immediately.
Currently, messages can only be scheduled up to 29 days in advance.
This update is part of Instagram’s ongoing effort to enhance its DM features, which already include message editing, the ability to draw on photos, and sharing live locations with friends, similar to Snapchat.