This New Instagram Update Lets You Draw On Pics Your Friends Send You

Another Instagram update is upon us, and you better believe it's going to be your new favorite distraction. Goodbye productivity — hello hilarious pics that you can send to friends. How? It's all thanks to the new remix update on Instagram, which lets you decorate your friend's photos on the DL, in the DM.

Confused? OK, it's a little complicated, but I'm already hooked on it, so I'll break it down for you.

As a part of an initiative to get users more actively direct messaging each other on the app, the company has added a feature that allows you and your friends to send each other private pictures back and forth that you have full access to edit and decorate. In other words, if you send your friend a direct message photo, they can draw whatever they want on it, and send it back to you — then, you can add to it, and send it back to them, etc., etc. It's like a game of telephone, only much more intentional, a lot more visual, and totally fun. Instead of having multiple threads within a conversation, you can send the same thread back and forth.

This new feature is going to be particularly useful for those multi-media back and forths you have with your bestie on Instagram. You know, when you send each other pictures and videos all day of you trying to outdo each other by being weirder and weirder in every 'gram? Yeah, you and your bestie are going to have a lot of fun. It's a lot easier to be your candid self when your whole following isn't watching. That's why this feature is so perfect for DMing. You're free to be as weird as you really are, and nobody but who you send your 'grams to will know.

Plus, you can now also control your replays. If you only want your friends to be able to view your content once, choose “One View” for those messages that you want your friends to only see once. Otherwise, you can choose “Allow Replay” so your friends get a chance to see your message for a second time. All photos and videos that are sent with “Allow Replay” will loop automatically, so your friends can just tap and hold to replay the message. Because you'll be creating a lot of silly content with this new feature, it's totally clutch that you have the power to control just how long your content gets to stay out in the world.

When you're ready to get 'gramming, check for an Instagram update in the App Store and then head to the app. Here's how to take full advantage of everything that the remix feature has to offer:

Pick A Friend And Snap A Pic Or Vid

Choose a friend to remix with and send them an image or video. The point of this feature is to go back and forth with content, adding on to it and making more and more ridiculous and fun. So give them something they can work with. Then, send it off, and wait for their response!

Add Onto It

Once your friend gets the media message in the direct inbox, they'll be notified about the update and they'll be able to rely and respond. All the have to do is tap the camera icon at the bottom and capture a reply. Once they do, you'll see it back in your inbox. Yep, just keep ping ponging it back and forth.

Keep It Going!

Once you get your bestie's media response, you can add onto it again! Seriously, you can go back and forth like this forever. You can add stickers, draw all over it, add text, emojis, anything. You can make this media exchange as whacky as you please. The feature is simply there to have fun with!