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Instagram's latest Stories sticker is a direct link to group chats

It's another push to promote Stories and direct messaging.

Instagram is introducing a new feature that will let users start private group messages around specific Stories. The company announced the change on Twitter today. Users will soon be able to add a "join chat" sticker to their Stories. If followers tap the sticker, they'll be added to a private group chat -- though the author will have the ability to approve or deny requests.

Instagram is promoting the "join chat" sticker as a new way to connect with friends, and while Instagram may have killed plans for a dedicated Direct messaging app, it's clear that both DMs and Stories are important to the platform. It's been steadily rolling out changes -- like a revamped Explore section that includes Stories and a donation sticker. It's likely we'll see more updates along these lines in the near future.