Instagram on the web has long played second fiddle to the mobile apps, but that gap is about to narrow considerably.

Instagram now rolls out direct messages on the web to a “small percentage” of users worldwide.

Much like on your phone, you can participate in regular and group chats, share photos, ‘like’ messages and receive notifications.

More news on a possible wider release is coming in the future, Instagram told.

The strategy is in line with Facebook’s broader goal of a more private experience with a greater focus on messaging than in the past.

It ultimately hopes to offer unified messaging across its core plaforms (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp).

If web DMs are widely available in earnest, they could be very helpful for everyone from businesses dealing with customers through to everyday users during lunch breaks.

On top of this, it fills a big gap in Facebook’s strategy — you could already use the web to chat on Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp.

So, it only makes sense to offer similar access to the Instagram crowd.