Instagram unveils new private messaging feature

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The popular photo-sharing app Instagram unveiled a new feature on Thursday that allows users to send private texts, videos, and photos messages.

Instagram Direct will let users carve out spaces for private conversations that are built around photos.

CEO Kevin Systrom made the announcement at a press conference in New York, revealing a shift in the company's strategy.

'Communication is not about photography, necessarily,' said CEO Kevin Systrom, according to The Verge. 'If we were about photography we're built into cameras, but we're not, we're built into phones.'

Messaging will add a new dimension to Instagram's offerings, Systrom said. Users can still add photos to their general newsfeeds, but they can also privately send their filtered creations to up to 15 of their followers. Like direct messaging on Twitter, users need to be following each other before they can send private messages.

'It's not about spamming everyone you know. It's about sharing a moment with your friends,' Systrom said, according to the New York Times.

Unlike most competitors in the messaging market, every Instagram Direct conversation must begin with a photo.

The messaging inbox is located at the top right corner of the screen. If someone 'likes' a photo during a chat, the sender will receive a notification in real-time.

The update comes soon after Instagram hired Peter Deng, its first Director of Product. Deng helped to launch Facebook's Messenger and News Feed services.

Earlier this year, Instagram revealed video posting, a Windows Phone app, photo tagging, and its first ads.

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