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Snapchat may allow public Stories that don't disappear
Snapchat's allure has largely revolved around the disappearing nature of its content, but that might not be the case for some material in the future. Reuters tipsters claim Snap is consider making public Stories (that is, ones that show up in Our Story) last longer, or even permanently. You could still delete them yourself, but they wouldn't automatically vanish. The company is reportedly thinking about revealing the identities of Snapchat users who make public posts, too. Private snaps would remain as ephemeral as ever, so you wouldn't have to worry about a permanent record of your hot gossip.
Facebook Stories test helps you invite friends to events
It's hard to make events exciting in Facebook. You can plan things down to the smallest detail, but that won't matter if people don't notice your event amid all the puppy videos and heated debates. Facebook may have a simple solution: put events where people are more likely to notice them. It's launching a test that lets you slip events into Stories, turning them into sales pitches of sorts. Share an event as a Story and you can create a flashier presentation with a sticker friends can use to show their interest.
Instagram accidentally made users' feeds scroll horizontally
If you opened up Instagram today and found that your timeline orientation was totally switched, you weren't alone. It appears that quite a few users had a timeline that moved left to right, where posts could be tapped through as they can be in stories. When the new timeline appeared, Instagram surfaced a notice that said, "Introducing a New Way to Move Through Posts," and told users to tap through to see their posts. However, it seems that this may have been another short test rather than a permanent change to Instagram's feed.
Facebook bug let apps access unposted photos for millions of users
Facebook has disclosed yet another privacy flub. This time around, it says a bug in the Photo API led to third-party apps being able to access not only timeline photos (which users had permitted them to do), but Stories, Marketplace images and photos people uploaded to Facebook but never actually shared.
Stories come to all Facebook Groups
Facebook announced today that it is bringing Stories to all Groups. The feature allows members of Groups on the platform to contribute to a collaborative story and react to content from other members. Group Stories were first introduced on Facebook in a limited capacity last year.
300 million people use Facebook Stories every day
Facebook Stories appeared to be a major flop after they were launched, with seemingly few users adopting the feature in the months after it became available. But it looks like that's changing because Facebook announced today that more than 300 million people are using Stories on Facebook and Messenger every day. While the company didn't share what the rate breakdown was between the two, it's a sizable usage number, putting it closer to Instagram, which hit 400 million daily users in June.
Instagram shopping invades the Explore tab
Like it or not, Instagram is continuing its quest to make shopping ubiquitous inside its app. The social service is launching a dedicated Shopping channel in the Explore tab that offers a personalized selection of goods. If money is burning a hole in your pocket, you won't have to stumble across a shoppable post to lighten your bank account. The channel is gradually rolling out now, although it'll only be available worldwide sometime in the "coming weeks."
New York Public Library turns classic novels into Insta Stories
The New York Public Library is using Instagram's Stories feature to make classic novels more accessible and enticing to read, especially to the younger generation. It has teamed up with ad agency Mother in New York to create "Insta Novels," which turns classic pieces of literature into animated digital novels illustrated by various visual artists. These digitized versions take inspiration from the layouts of the original classics, featuring elements that reflect the novels' designs. The full digital books will be posted as Stories: simply hold the screen to read a page and lift your finger to turn it. If you're a fast reader, just let it play on its own to watch the animated elements move on screen.
Giphy's redesigned homepage puts GIF Stories in the spotlight
Giphy has been growing beyond its roots as a GIF warehouse, but you wouldn't know that if you've looked at the wave of largely unrelated animations on its home page in the past few years. The company is addressing that today by launching a redesigned home page that provides more of an editorial bent. You'll still see trending GIFs, but the front portal now focuses on curated, shareable Stories that revolve around common themes, whether it's awards shows or celebrity reactions. If you want a glimpse of the GIF zeitgeist, you won't have to go far.
Snapchat deals with NFL, NBC add more sports videos
The jury's still out on whether or not Snapchat Stories are successful, but giants in the sports realm are apparently happy. Snap has signed deals with the NFL and NBC that will bring more sports programming to your phone. To begin with, it's extending its NFL partnership to include a "best of" Sunday Story in the Discover section that summarizes American football news and highlights for the past week. You'll continue to see Snapchat-produced NFL Our Stories material as well as Bitmoji, filters and lenses.
Instagram's latest Story sticker is for Q&A
Instagram's Stories now involve much more two-way interaction than simple polls. True to recent leaks, both Android and iOS users can use a Questions sticker that (surprise) lets you ask followers for feedback. They can answer as many times as they like, and all your responses will live in your viewers list for a given story. You can share responses with the public, but Instagram will hide usernames and profile photos to prevent naming and shaming.
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 may let you ask questions in Stories
You can already run polls in your Instagram Stories, but what if you'd like your feedback to be a little more verbose? You might get that wish. A tipster for Android Police has shared what looks to be a test for a questions feature in Stories -- add it to your creation and your friends can type their own answers, which you'll see listed by user. We've asked Instagram if it can confirm details, but the rollout doesn't appear to be too region-specific. You're looking at an Indonesian user's screen above, while Italians have also reported seeing the option.
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.
Instagram starts selling products in your Stories
Instagram is bent on making shopping a cornerstone of its experience... and like it or not, Stories are no exception to that rule. The social service has introduced a shopping bag sticker that lets you see (and ideally, buy) products from "select" brands, including Adidas, when watching Stories. Tap one and you'll get a brief description of what's on offer as well as a link to the site if you're enamored.
Polls are here for Facebook Messenger Stories
Facebook announced quite a few changes and additions to its Messenger app at its recent F8 event, including a planned redesign and a way to buy Nike sneakers and other products in AR. Now the company is bringing polls over to Messenger Stories, making it simple to share a status update and ask your buddies what they think about it.
Airbnb tests its own version of Snapchat's Stories for rentals
Even Airbnb can't resist the urge to copy Snapchat, it seems. The home rental outfit is quietly beta testing a Stories feature in its iPhone app that (surprise!) lets you document your trips with photos and short videos. You can view the resulting productions both on your phone and the web, and they appear to automatically link to places in the stories along with the related accommodations. Clearly, Airbnb sees this as a marketing tool -- you might be more likely to book a rental if you see examples of what people did during their stays. It doesn't hurt that this could get you to use the app beyond scheduling your own trips.
Get ready for ads in Facebook Stories
While Facebook's version of Stories have taken a while to gain traction, the format isn't going anywhere soon. Apparently, Facebook has enough users (some 150 million daily active users) now to start testing ads within Stories, according to TechCrunch.
Instagram now lets you share posts in Stories
Instagram has spent months testing the ability to share posts as Stories, and now it's finally here. An update to the Android app (iOS will get it in the "coming days") lets you turn public posts from your social feed into stickers, with a tap bringing users directly to the post you're eager to celebrate. You can customize both the sticker and the background to add a little extra flair.
Facebook is testing cloud-saved photos and videos in India (updated)
Facebook's latest tools take a glitch from the "download your data" and turn it into a feature. After a forthcoming update, you'll be able to save media directly to your account, share voice messages and archive any evaporating Stories you might want to keep around. According to The Verge, saving and archiving will be an option from the app's camera tab.
