Instagram Adds New DM Options, Including Voice Clip Transcription

Instagram is rolling out a few new updates to its DMs, reflecting how much users are now leaning into messaging on the platform.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri recently pointed out once again that “far more photos and videos are being shared in DMs” than anywhere else on the app. He even called it a “paradigm shift” in how people use Instagram — a point he’s emphasized in several interviews over the past year.

So, it’s no surprise Instagram is adding new messaging features to support this growing trend.

1. Voice Message Transcriptions
Instagram is now introducing text transcriptions for voice messages in DMs. When someone sends you an audio message, you’ll see a new “View transcription” button right below it.
This means you can read the message before, during, or after playing it — super useful if you’re in a place where you can’t listen to audio out loud.

As Instagram explains:

“Now when you receive a voice message in DMs, you can view a transcription of the audio before, during, and after you play the voice message, making it easier to connect with friends even when you can’t listen to their message out loud.”

2. Longer Voice Messages
The platform is also increasing the max length of voice messages — from 1 minute to 5 minutes.
Now, you can send longer voice notes if you’ve got more to say. And yes, those longer messages can also be transcribed for easy reading.

(Fun fact: Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” is 3 minutes and 33 seconds — so yes, it fits.)

Instagram had been testing this feature with select users, but it’s now rolling out for everyone.

3. “Follow All” in Group Chats
Instagram is also making it easier to connect with people in group chats. A new “Follow All” button now appears in group DMs, letting you instantly follow everyone in that chat with a single tap.

While you probably already follow most of the people you chat with, this new option makes sense for larger or newly formed groups — especially when you meet new friends with shared interests.

These may seem like small tweaks, but they could make your DM experience a lot smoother — whether you’re sending long audio updates, catching up on messages silently, or quickly connecting with a new group.