In an effort to improve how Instagram users connect and share with their closest friends, the social media platform introduced a bunch of new messaging features, including the ability to send messages silently, see who's online to chat, share music previews, and more.

There are seven new features in total, aiming to help users connect with their loved ones and closest people in a more fun and seamless way.

One of the most useful ones is an option to quickly reply to a direct message (DM) right from your feed without having to switch to your inbox. The platform also offers a new sharing option that lets you long-press the share button from the main Instagram feed to quickly reshare interesting content to four of your closest friends.

Another innovation is the ability to send 30-second song previews thanks to integrations with Amazon and Apple music streaming services. Spotify support is coming soon, too.

Other new features that Instagram announced are in line with what Facebook Messenger already offers, which is no surprise considering the company's work to make the two platforms cross-compatible.

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This way, Instagram now features a similar row of profile pictures at the top of your inbox to let you know which contacts are currently online. The social media platform also adds the polls feature that lets you conduct polls in group chats. Another handy feature is the ability to send DMs quietly and without triggering a notification for your contact in the form of a new @silent command.

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Instagram says the new features are now available in select countries and will gradually expand globally soon.

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