Instagram Direct Lets You Delete Photos From Others' Phones

Lost amid the recent news that Instagram will now let users send photos privately to one another is a new feature clearly designed to compete with Snapchat.

As part of its new direct messaging feature, Instagram will allow users to delete sent photos from recipients' phones at any time. Though not quite the same as Snapchat's ephemeral, self-imploding photo messages, what this means is that Instagram users will be able to cope with a common online dilemma: sender's remorse.

As ArsTechnica reports, the new feature grants Instagram users more manual control over when and if they delete a photo than rival Snapchat, which has built its brand on the ability to avoid leaving a digital paper trail (whether that's actually the case). The new private messaging system lets users send private photos to up to 15 people from the list of Instagram accounts they followIf at any point the sender decides they don't want a recipient to be able to see the message anymore, they can delete it — regardless of whether the photo has already been viewed. Read more...