The feature is the latest salvo between Facebook, which bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, and Snapchat, which rejected Facebook’s $3 billion buyout offer just three years ago, as they try to attract more users.
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Instagram’s new Stories feature looks like an effort to compete with Snapchat. With Instagram Stories, users can upload different clips and shots into the same Story, then share that Story with whoever they want on Instagram. “You can bring your story to life in new ways with text and drawing tools”, Instagram wrote in a blogpost. This won’t post anything to your actual Instagram account, but only to your story. The stories will appear as a slideshow in Your Story.
Users can comment on something seen in a story through a private message on Instagram Direct. “People are already creating and sharing more video, so we’re going to make it even easier”, he added.
Don’t count on stories to capture your trips and adventures forever, though: Stories will disappear after 24 hours.
Stories will match the user’s privacy settings, and users can choose to keep a Story private or share it with a wider audience. “To view someone’s story, just tap on their profile photo”. These bubbles are displayed through an algorithm that shows your favorite account first.
This time, Facebook-owned multimedia app Instagram is looking to take a slice of the pie, rolling out a feature which essentially copies Snapchat’s Stories, Digital Spy said. The users feel very comfortable and able to save and reshare their pictures to Instagram stories easily. How to tell there’s new Stories to be viewed?
It really just comes down to user preference: Instagram Stories or Snapchat? But the acquisition of MSQRD by Facebook implies it may introduce the filter app on its platform.
So how will the new feature work, exactly? Copying or at least using other services as inspiration for new features is common among big tech companies.
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It is of course a blatant rip, but it allows people such as myself – who really can’t get on with Snapchat, to experience a pretty interesting feature.
