What is @silent on Instagram? The new DM feature explained

6 January 2022, 12:16

Billie Eilish surprises fans by video-chatting with them on Instagram Live

By Jazmin Duribe

Why does it say @silent on Instagram? Your guide to the DM message you've probably seen on Instagram…

Instagram has just introduced a brand new feature – "@silent" – and it's set to revolutionise your DMs.

Recently, Instagram has been undergoing some big changes. After hearing our cries to bring back chronological feeds, Instagram ditched the muddled algorithm for the first time since 2016. Instagram head Adam Mosseri also announced that the platform would be allowing users to have the option to choose between three different feeds: Home, Favorites and Following.

You might have noticed that a new message now appears when sending someone a direct message that reads "@silent" and a little bell symbol with a line through it. Here's what the new "@silent" feature actually means.

READ MORE: Instagram is bringing back chronological feeds

Why does it say @silent on Instagram?

@silent is a new Instagram feature that allows you to send "silent" direct messages. That means the recipient of the message won't be notified.

The new feature is currently being tested on selected accounts, but if you're lucky enough to be one of the users with the ability to use the @silent feature, all you need to do is type "@silent" in the message box then write your message like you normally would. The receiver will then get your message as normal but will not receive a notification.

Now, does this seem a little… pointless? Perhaps. However, if you're fortunate enough to be inundated with DMs and are fed up of your phone constantly blowing up then it might be perfect for you.

It also might be good for less urgent messages, or if you know someone is using your phone and you don't want them to see your DMs popping up.

At the moment, the feature only seems to apply to group messages and there's no word on if it will launch for one-on-one private messages.

Would you use Instagram's "@silent" feature?