The king of photo-sharing apps, Instagram, has today added two major new features; live video, and disappearing photos & videos.
There’s not much in the competition currently which would give the Facebook-owned service a run for its money, but regardless, the two new features added today are highly welcomed, albeit a bit late. Instagram stirred things up when it launched Stories back in August this year, and with that feature gaining some real traction, the company believes these two new features will fit right in to further enhance user experience.
We will briefly be running through what both these new features have to offer for those already Instagraming their way of life and, for those on the brink of it.
Live Video, as the name itself suggests, is a part of Instagram Stories with users being able to easily go live at a moment’s notice, and unlike regular Stories, live video will disappear when you go offline. To go live, simply swipe right to add a new story and you will see the Live Video option. Tap “Start Live Video” and you will be broadcasting a live feed.
Followers will get a notification that you are now live and will be able to tune in and send in comments, emoji etc in real-time. More importantly, live users will also be able to be easily identified by a “Live” label under their profile photo in the Stories bar. The Explore section has also been populated with a dedicated “Top Live” category which houses all the top live videos being broadcasted at that moment.
Snapchat-like self-erasing or disappearing messages, photos and videos aren’t exactly breakthrough features, but there’s no complaining now that they are here. Part of the Instagram Direct experience, you can now send in photos or videos to one or more users, or a group, with the content being erased after it has been viewed.
Anytime someone replays a video or attempts to take a screenshot of a photo that has been set to erase, you will be notified as well. As mentioned, earlier, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where does the inspiration of this feature comes from.
To open your inbox, tap the new paper airplane icon at the top right corner of your feed or swipe left. You’ll see disappearing photos and videos in a bar at the top. Tap the ones with blue rings to see what your friends sent you. In a group, you can see everyone’s responses — and who else has seen them — in a slideshow format.
Disappearing photos and videos in Instagram Direct is currently rolling out to all iOS, Android and Windows 10 users, while the Live Video feature in Instagram Stories will be made available over the course of “next few weeks”.
Live Video on Instagram Stories
Disappearing photos and videos in Instagram Direct
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