Instagram Broadcast Channels Let Creators Slide Into Your DMs

Ever wanted to be in a group chat with Mark Zuckerberg? Well, now you can (sort of).

Meta-owned Instagram this week rolled out(Opens in a new window) Broadcast Channels, which are basically group direct messages for creators. Followers can join a broadcast channel for direct updates from people in the message format, but they can only interact via emoji reactions or by voting in polls.

Zuckerberg kicked things off Thursday with his own “Meta Channel,” where he plans to share product news, upcoming features like collaborations, AMA question prompts, and more.

(Credit: Meta)

The idea is to create a quick and casual space for sharing updates, providing behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and crowdsourcing fan feedback in a more text-based fashion versus disappearing Stories or the image-focused updates for which Instagram is known.

Meta’s new feature is still in the testing stage across Instagram (and soon Messenger and Facebook). Early adopters include athletes Chloe Kim, Flau’jae, Gilbert Burns, Mackenzie Dern, and Mikaela Shiffrin; content creators Austin Sprinz, David Allen, FaZe Rug, Katie Feeney, Lonnie IIV, Tank Sinatra, and Valkyrae; as well as media personality and entrepreneur Josh Richards and creative director Karen Cheng.

Those who want to start a broadcast channel can join a waitlist(Opens in a new window). When approved, they can launch a broadcast channel directly from the Instagram inbox, and automatically invite existing followers. Once live, the channel is accessible via a Stories sticker or pinned profile link; you have to be following the person to view their broadcast channel. Those with Subscriptions can open a channel to all followers, with the option to limit exclusive content to paid subscribers.

Broadcast channels you follow, meanwhile, appear in the Instagram inbox, next to other message threads; leave or mute a channel at any time, or turn off notifications entirely. Fans may also share links to their favorite channels, coaxing friends and family to join, too.