Apparently Instagram is a big fan of the feature, because today it announced a similar one for its own service.
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Whenever a friend has posted new Instagram Stories, their profile picture will glow with a ring. Instagram has even tried Snapchat-like features in the past for news events, creating streams of user posts related to live events like the Super Bowl and the Oscars, mimicking Snapchat’s “Live Story” product.
Instagram is calling the feature one that lets users “share all the moments of your day, not just the ones you want to keep on your profile”. Users can share multiple videos and photos on the app, which will appear in a slideshow format called “Your Story”, explains the Instagram blog post.
While Instagram is a hub for preserving the polished moments of life – say, a perfectly composed meal ready to eat – Snapchat has been a place for sharing the messier, funnier ones – the mess you made of that meal, for example. “Anyone you allow to follow you on Instagram can see your Instagram Stories, though you can also block people, as opposed to building a separate network on Snapchat”. Instagram is launching new tools that will enable you to draw and write on top of your photos. And after 24 hours, you won’t be able to view your posts inside your story anymore (just like Snapchat).
Users simply need to tap on a profile photo in order to view a story, and they can tap to go back and forward. If you want to comment on a story you have seen, you can send a private message to the poster.
If your account is private, then of course only your friends will be able to see your story. What’s more, you can also feature a particular part of your story by posting it to your profile. The update including Stories rolls out in the next few weeks on iOS and Android.
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Instagram have seen the rapid success of Snapchat and decided they want a piece of the action. So it’s impossible to overpost, and it’s never a problem to share something that doesn’t fit your chosen aesthetic. It regularly imitates the popular messaging app. In addition to the apps nobody remembers, Facebook has tinkered with disappearing posts, tacky photo editing features and if it’s recent acquisition of startup Msqrd is any indication, it may soon add kooky face filters to Messenger. For those who have a public account, it is visible to anyone on Instagram.
