If you’re active on Instagram, you probably share dozens of posts with friends in Direct Messages (DMs). Whether it’s an outfit you want to recreate, a restaurant you want to try, or decor inspiration, you can share it with someone in just a few taps.

Instagram has made it even easier to share ideas with friends on the app and keep track of them with the rollout of Collaborative Collections. So, what are they, and how do they work? Let’s find out.

Instagram Rolls Out Collaborative Collections

Instagram announced on Twitter that it’s rolling out Collaborative Collections. This nifty feature makes it easier to share and keep track of the posts you and your friends are interested in.

Collaborative Collections is another Instagram feature geared toward sharing content with friends. Instagram’s Close Friends feature lets you share exclusive Stories with the friends you trust.

The Quick Share feature allows you to send posts to friends with a shortcut. It’s one of Instagram’s messaging features that makes sharing quick and fun. Collaborative Collections work similarly…

What Are Collaborative Collections on Instagram?

Collaborative Collections are Instagram post collections that friends can contribute to together. They build upon Instagram Collections, a feature that helps you organize your bookmarked Instagram posts into your chosen categories. Friends can share ideas, posts, inspiration, and more in a single category and manage the collection together.

You’re the only one who can view your saved Instagram posts, as they are private. But with Collaborative Collections, you can share access with your friends. The feature is reminiscent of Pinterest’s Group Board feature, which is also used for idea sharing. Collaborative Collections can be accessed under Saved posts and DM chats with co-collaborators.

How to Create Collaborative Collections on Instagram

Ready to create a collaborative collection? Follow the steps below to get started:

1. Open the Instagram app on your mobile phone.
2. Find a post you want to save with friends and tap the bookmark icon.
3. Tap New Collection, add a suitable name, and toggle on Collaborative.
4. Next, find your friend or friends by either tapping their name under Share with (these are friends you recently contacted via DM) or entering their name in the Search bar.
5. When you’re done, tap Save in the top-right corner.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when using collaborative collections on Instagram:

• Your co-collaborators can’t view a post from a private account unless they follow the creator.
• If the creator deletes a post you shared in a collaborative collection, it will be removed from your collection.
• You can’t share collaborative collections with other people.
• You can’t create collaborative collections on a desktop or laptop.

Collaborative Collections Are Quick to Create and Easy to Find

Given how often friends share posts privately, this feature was long overdue. It shortens the process of sharing posts you’ve saved, as there’s no need to send them to friends via DM. Quickly add a friend as a collaborator while saving the post, and Instagram will send it to their DM by default.

Collaborative Collections make it easier to find posts you’ve shared with friends in the past. Instead of sorting through dozens, sometimes hundreds of messages in a private chat with a friend, you can now find those posts in a dedicated place without the clutter.

More importantly, creating a collaborative collection is not an exhaustive process, which is probably the best thing about the feature. You can create a collaborative collection in ten seconds or less and keep it moving.

Collaborate With Friends Easily on Instagram

Part of what makes social media fun is how you engage with friends and the ability to share posts back and forth between friends. With Collaborative Collections, friends can organize the posts they want to save into categories and contribute to those collections together. It makes it easier to plan activities, celebrations, and so much more together.