How-To
Instagram is testing desktop DMs with more users – here’s how to check if you have it
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Instagram is the social media platform of choice for many people around the world. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, which allow direct messages through their web platforms, Instagram has always been a bit more strict, requiring users to open up the app on their phones to access DMs.
That said, the company has been testing direct messaging through web for a number of months now and according to Business Insider, that rollout has increased, with more users gaining access to the feature. It should be noted that it is not rolling out worldwide and it still seems to be a pretty small percent of users. KnowTechie’s business page has it, but none of our individual accounts have access at the time of this writing.
To check if you have the feature, it is extremely easy and we’ll show you how.
How to check if you have access to DMs on desktop for Instagram

Image: KnowTechie
To check if you have access, first load up Instagram through your web browser.
- Once logged in, look at the top of the page where you typically see the Home icon and your profile picture
- If you have access, you’ll see the paper plan icon used to represent DMs on the app
That’s literally it. If you do have access, you’ll be able to open up all of your Instagram DMs directly through the browser to see a history of your past DMs.
What do you think? Do you see yourself using this new Instagram feature on desktop? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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