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Instagram rolls out its new look for Stories on desktop
It says the redesign makes things more immersive and easy to navigate.
Instagram Live videos can now be saved to IGTV
Until now, live streams had only been archived for 24 hours in stories.
Instagram will let you reply to Stories with GIFs
For a couple of years, Instagram users have been able to pull GIFs from Giphy to use as animated stickers in Stories. When your friend posts something that you just have to respond to and words or a static image just won't cut it, you might want to reply with a GIF of your own. And guess what? You can do just that following the app's latest update.
Instagram is testing new Boomerang modes and Layouts in Stories
Your Instagram Stories could soon be flooded by a greater variety of Boomerangs than ever before, according to Jane Manchun Wong. The app researcher found evidence that suggests Instagram is developing five new Boomerang modes. One called "Hold" adds a short pause at the end of each loop. Another,"Dynamic," adds a twitch to loops. Manchun Wong created mock ups of the new modes, which you can view on her blog.
Share your latest Netflix binge on Instagram Stories
We've all had that moment when we've just watched a great show or movie and simply have to tell everyone about it. If you're eager to show your friends why Marie Kondo has changed your life or urge them to check out a documentary about the disastrous Fyre Festival, you'll be pleased to know you can share Netflix titles directly to your Instagram Stories.
YouTube expands its Instagram-style Stories to more creators
YouTube is rolling out its Instagram-style Stories feature to more creators starting today, according to a report from The Verge. The latest expansion of the feature, which YouTube first started testing last year, will allow creators with more than 10,000 subscribers to post the temporary videos.
Instagram might be exploring collaborative School Stories
When Facebook launched, the social network was limited to students, and now the company appears to be testing a new Instagram feature that brings to mind those early days. TechCrunch reports that Instagram might be considering collaborative School Stories, which could be viewed and contributed to only by students of that school. Tipster Jane Manchun Wong spotted code suggesting as much, as well as code saying, "School stories are manually reviewed to make sure the community is safe," which would be important if Instagram does choose to move forward with such a youth-exclusive space.
You can now post your Shazam finds to Instagram Stories
Instagram's obsession with music is expanding to Shazam: The song-identifying app now works with Instagram Stories. Starting today, you'll be able to pull up Shazam, ID a song, and immediately post it to your Instagram Story.
SoundCloud users can now share song links to Instagram Stories
SoundCloud users will no longer have to settle for screenshots when they want to share music on Instagram, as the company announced today that tracks can now be shared to Instagram Stories directly from the SoundCloud app. Instagram announced at F8 that it would start letting users post to their Stories from third-party apps, including Spotify and GoPro, and SoundCloud has now jumped on board. However, it should be noted that sharing from SoundCloud only adds a sticker to your Story, and to hear the track, viewers will have to tap the "Play on SoundCloud" link and listen to the tune in the SoundCloud app. The feature doesn't add a soundtrack to your Story.
Snapchat is opening up your shared Stories to media partners
Snapchat is opening up public, user-submitted videos to the "Our Stories" feature to its media partners. Soon, the likes of CNN and NBC News will pull from public videos to supplement their own stories. Deadline writes that media companies using Snapchat will likely overlay graphics and text to the videos for context. For example, folks attending a late-season baseball game and adding it to the Our Stories for the game could see their footage in a post from ESPN.
Facebook is bringing augmented reality ads to the News Feed
Facebook is now testing augmented reality ads in its News Feed, the company announced today at an event in New York City. The new feature, which is limited to users in the US at launch, will let you virtually try on items including fashion accessories, cosmetics, furniture and more. The goal here, of course, is to help you visualize what a product looks like on you, or around your physical environment, before you buy it. Michael Kors is the first brand to have AR Ads in the News Feed, where it is going to allow people to browse different sunglasses, use the camera to "put them on" and then buy a pair if they like it -- all within an ad.
Instagram now lets you add a soundtrack to your Stories
As was rumored in May, Instagram is now letting users add soundtracks to their Stories. Attaching music is as easy as adding a sticker, and folks can choose a backing track to their Stories before or after recording video. When anyone watches them, they'll hear the song playing and see a sticker showing its title and artist name to discover exactly what they're jamming to.
Friends can steal the Instagram Stories posts they're tagged in
Instagram recently enabled users to upload multiple photos and videos to their stories, but they left out the most precious commodity: You. Now, when anyone mentions you in their story, you can add that content to your own. Which is a great way to brag about how great your friends think you are...or put them on blast if they're talking trash.
Instagram allows you to post to Stories from other apps
Today, Instagram announced a new way to share your favorite moments to Stories. You can now post to your Instagram Story directly from a third-party app, so you can easily share what you're doing, what you're enjoying or what you're listening to without having to leave the app you're in. Instagram will automatically pull the image into its camera, at which point you can edit or tweak it. The feature will debut with Spotify and GoPro, with more on the way, and will go live today on Instagram and later on Facebook.
GoPro makes it easier to share footage as Instagram Stories
While you can post GoPro photos and videos as Instagram Stories, the process takes quite a few steps to accomplish and sometimes even requires the use of a third-party app. Well, the action cam-maker worked with Instagram to launch a direct way to share your adventures, like say a diving expedition, a trek up the mountain or an ordinary day at home playing with your dog, through the social network's ephemeral feature. Starting today, you'll see Stories as an option when you share videos and photos from within GoPro's application.
Netflix is bringing video previews to its mobile apps
A year after introducing video previews on its TV experience, Netflix is now planning to bring the feature to its mobile apps. The company announced today this will be rolling out in April, noting that it was developed to help make it easier and faster for users to find content on their smartphone. As you might expect, the execution here looks different: These mobile video previews are vertical, which makes them feel similar to Snapchat or Instagram stories. Once they launch, you'll see a new section dubbed "Previews" when you open the Netflix app, and you'll be able to browse them by swiping left on each one.
Instagram lets you skip the photos with text-only Stories
Instagram is a photo- and video-centric social network by its very nature, but that doesn't mean you always want to share images along with your thoughts. And now, you don't have to. The service is releasing a Type Mode for Stories that, as the name implies, lets you write with a creative flair while skipping the pressure to use pictures. Switch to a new Type section and you can jot down whatever you like while choosing little more than a font style and background. You can produce a deep confessional or a clever transition without having to think about composing a shot, although you can add them (or other flourishes) if you'd like.
Instagram can now automatically archive your Stories
Last week, The Next Web reported on a bunch of new features Instagram was reportedly testing out and today, the platform is giving users two new ways to manage Stories. The first is the rumored Story archive. Now, Instagram will automatically save your Stories after their 24 hours are up and they'll exist in a separate archive section of your profile. You'll be able to rewatch Stories, add them to posts or add them to a new Story. And if you decide you don't want those Stories sticking around, you can turn off auto-archiving whenever you want.
Instagram is testing a lot of new features, including a repost button
The Next Web reports today that Instagram is testing a slew of new features, many of which could be quite welcome among users. Maybe the most exciting feature is a native Regram button, which would let users repost others' photos and videos without having to turn to a third-party app. Another potentially popular addition is the ability to archive your Stories and it appears you'll be able to set Instagram to do that automatically. And it looks like iOS users might soon be able to share Instagram posts and profiles to WhatsApp with just a click of a button.
Instagram’s new feature lets you draw on your friends’ photos
Instagram released a new feature today that lets you edit pictures friends send you via direct message. Here's how it works. Once someone sends you a photo directly, tap the camera icon in the bottom of that message to reply. Then snap a picture to send back. The original picture sent to you will be included within the photo you reply with and you can then change that original photo by moving it, resizing it, drawing on it, adding stickers or adding text.
