When it comes to Instagram, the best experience is usually on the phone. However, there are times when it might not be so convenient to always check your phone, which is why Instagram also has a web version. Unfortunately, for the most part, Instagram for the web has always felt like a crippled experience.
However, for those who were hoping for a more robust version of Instagram for the web, it looks like the company is headed in that direction. This is because Instagram has started to roll out support for direct messaging via the web interface. This means that users will now be able to send and receive direct messages through Instagram for the web.
Prior to this, Instagram for the web was a barebones experience where you could see your feed and get notifications. This is versus the app version of Instagram that offered up the full experience, including messages. With support for direct messaging, you can now send and share Instagram posts with your friends as well as chat with them.
This feature was actually already in testing back in January, but back then it was only tested with a small group of users, but it looks like it is now available for all. The changes should be live so just fire up Instagram for the web and you should be able to use the new feature.