Photo and video-sharing social networking service, Instagram is testing a new feature that will make it more difficult for people you don’t follow to send you unwanted message requests on your DM.
People you don’t follow can only send you one text message to request to connect. The message can only contain text without unsolicited photos, videos, or voice messages popping up in your message requests.
Before now, Instagram let users send an unlimited number of message requests which could sometimes get out of hand.
Meta started testing the feature as part of a broader safety push, as the Company also rolled out more robust parental controls on both Instagram and Messenger that give parents a more detailed look at what their child is doing on either app.
In a statement by Cindy Southworth, Meta’s head of women’s safety, she said “Now, users can only send you more than one bunch once you’ve accepted their requests live in the ‘Request Button’ located above your inbox in Instagram’s DM tab.
She added that you can only receive requests if your privacy settings require users to send a request before they can message you.
“We want people to feel confident and in control when they open their inbox. That’s why we’re testing new features, which mean people can’t receive images, videos, or multiple messages from someone they don’t follow until they’ve accepted the request to chat,” she added.
