Instagram is adding the option to schedule DMs. Social media expert Lindsay Gamble discovered the feature and Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s rolling out scheduled DMs to all users.
When you type a message, just hold down the send button and you can choose a date and time. It looks like messages can be scheduled up to 29 days in advance. Until all scheduled messages are sent, you’ll see a banner reading something like “x scheduled messages.”
This would be useful for people who want to schedule birthday messages for multiple friends at once or, for example, remind someone to pick them up from the airport on a certain day. It would also be useful for people who take care of correspondence at night and don’t want everyone to know how late they’ve been up. This is definitely not something I’d ever do with email.
It’s worth noting that Instagram is rolling out this DM scheduling feature to all users before scheduling posts and reels in advance. For now, the feature is limited to those who have created a professional account.
In the meantime, Instagram is rolling out several limited-time, year-end features to help you cherish the holidays and 2024 memories. For one thing, there’s a collage tool for Stories that has a year-end theme. Based on the images Instagram shared, it appears you can use a Happy New Year overlay.
There are also several Add Yours templates based on the new year, like one you can use to inspire friends to share photos in a How 2024 Started/How 2024 Ended format. If you hit the Like button on year-end Stories, you’ll see a custom effect. There’s also a New Year font and countdown text effect for Stories, Reels and feed posts.
Festive chat themes for the holidays include a New Year one called “Chill” and, of course, another theme based on Mariah Carey. Last but not least, if you use certain festive emojis or phrases like “Happy New Year” or “Hello 2025” in DMs or Notes before the end of the year, you’ll see some kind of Easter egg.
Laptops are evolving rapidly, with some new models using AI-powered features that adapt to your usage and improve performance in real-time. These AI PCs can optimize battery life, manage power across tasks and even boost webcam quality during video calls.
Although AI integration in laptops is still relatively new, it’s a feature worth looking into if you’re considering making your setup future-proof. Plus, it’s exciting to see how these AI-powered PCs can handle everything from productivity to entertainment, delivering smart adjustments and enhancements that can make our digital lives a little easier.
Of all the notebooks we’ve tested and reviewed recently, we consider Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air M3 to be the best laptop for most people, and that’s still the case for our top picks to start the new year.
It’s powerful enough to handle most tasks (even light video editing); it has a great screen and built-in speakers; and its battery can last about 20 hours (depending on what you’re doing, of course). The MacBook Air M3 is also one of the lightest and thinnest systems we’ve reviewed, and it’s downright quiet thanks to its fanless design.
Although Apple recently introduced its new M4 chip in the iPad Pro, we may not see it in the MacBook Air until next year. For now, the MacBook Air M3 is still a great laptop to buy, especially if you want a machine with good battery life.
Of course, not everyone wants a MacBook, and there are great Windows laptops and Chromebooks out there, too. Windows systems offer a variety of configurations, from budget to high-end UHD screens, with gorgeous IPS panels that boast high nits for vivid brightness.
Chromebooks, on the other hand, are more affordable and are great for users who work mostly online. Whether you need a powerhouse for creative work, a compact system for note taking, or a laptop that can enjoy movie nights with the family, there’s something for everyone in today’s laptop market.