Instagram Just Became Snapchat With 'Stories' That Disappear After 24 Hours

[MacRumors]

Instagram today announced the launch of a new feature called "Instagram Stories," which lets its users post customized images and videos onto their profile, abiding by the ephemeral rule of rival service Snapchat: every post disappears completely within 24 hours. The company said that this lets users not have to "worry about overposting" and clogging up their profile in the process.

Stories will appear in a bar at the top of each user's normal Instagram feed, updating with new posts of all the same friends, family members, and popular accounts they follow. Each time someone posts a new picture or video within their Story, a colorful ring circles their profile picture. Jumping into Stories is as easy as tapping on one of those profile photos, and swiping to move back and forward through each user slideshow.

Today, we're introducing Instagram Stories, a new feature that lets you share all the moments of your day, not just the ones you want to keep on your profile. As you share multiple photos and videos, they appear together in a slideshow format: your story.

With Instagram Stories, you don't have to worry about overposting. Instead, you can share as much as you want throughout the day -- with as much creativity as you want. You can bring your story to life in new ways with text and drawing tools. The photos and videos will disappear after 24 hours and won't appear on your profile grid or in feed.

Comments are allowed on Stories, but are only able to be sent through Instagram's direct message feature, because "unlike regular posts, there are no likes or public comments." Keeping in the vein of Snapchat, you can swipe up on your own story to see every Instagram member who has viewed the post so far. To add a bit of flair to a profile, users can also post specific Stories to their page if they decide they want to keep the photo or video longer than 24 hours.

Some users are reporting that the Instagram Stories update has already been added to their device via an update that describes only "Bug fixes and performance improvements," but the company itself mentioned that the update should begin rolling out to iOS and Android devices "over the next few weeks." You can download the Instagram app for free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Instagram Just Became Snapchat With 'Stories' That Disappear After 24 Hours

 

[nburwell]

Meh, no thanks. I already use Snapchat to post silly/funny images or videos to my story. I'd prefer to keep Instagram with images that I shoot, then edit using the various apps on my iPhone before posting to IG. One app to post to my "story" is more than enough for me.

 

[captain cadet]

Did Instagram just become Samsung?

 

[bradkrischel]

I got a "bug fixes and performance improvements" update for Instagram yesterday. However, I still don't have that feature, so i think the recent app update doesn't have anything to do with this new "stories" feature.

(Update: "Stories" functionality just got rolled out to me)

 

[keysofanxiety]

Meh, no thanks. I already use Snapchat to post silly/funny images or videos to my story. I'd prefer to keep Instagram with images that I shoot, then edit using the various apps on my iPhone before posting to IG. One app to post to my "story" is more than enough for me.

But can you make your cat shoot freaking laser beams out of its eyes?

 

[nburwell]

But can you make your cat shoot freaking laser beams out of its eyes?

*Golf clap* well played

 

[applesith]

Mark getting desperate?

 

[sbrhwkp3]

Wow. Now that's just annoying.

 

[Chatter]

Next up: swipe left or right if you like the story.
If you like it, a dating profile pops up for quick contact.

 

[jimi78]

Sometimes I feel like I want to re-install IG onto my phone and then I think about how many times can I look at a damn [Insert ubiquitous photo here] one more time. There are so many of them I didn't even want to begin to list them. This just may make me reconsider that now.

 

[Dilster3k]

That's just dirty.

 

[zorinlynx]

I don't get this new obsession with stuff that vanishes forever.

Do we not want to save cool things to look back on them later anymore? Nostalgia is a wonderful feeling; I love finding stuff I posted online 15 years ago. If I'd been using Snapchat like services back then, there would be nothing!

 

[Banks73]

Instagram sucks right now, feeds all over the place!

 

[keysofanxiety]

Nostalgia is a wonderful feeling; I love finding stuff I posted online 15 years ago.

It's the complete opposite of that for me if I look over things I posted on the Internet a decade ago…

Boy I'd love to utterly destroy every one of my stupid comments and hormonal ramblings from the face of history.

 

[aamoren3]

So stupid.

Instagram= photography. Snapchat= dpics

 

[carrrrrlos]

Or just use snapchat.

 

[mrgraff]

I miss the "good old days" when an app did one thing and did it well. If you wanted to do something else, then you downloaded a different app. Nowadays, everything has to be a features smorgasbord in order to steal users and revenue from each other.

 

[LordQ]

I miss the "good old days" when an app did one thing and did it well. If you wanted to do something else, then you downloaded a different app. Nowadays, everything has to be a features smorgasbord in order to steal users and revenue from each other.

I was about to post the same - a lot of apps now want to do everything and clutter the experience. Shame.

 

[44267547]

Snapchat is on fire right now and this what happens, other Social Media sites typically follow the leader per say.

 

[Paddle1]

I got a "bug fixes and performance improvements" update for Instagram yesterday. However, I still don't have that feature, so i think the recent app update doesn't have anything to do with this new "stories" feature.

The update is available to everyone. A/B testing allows them to show new features only to some users.

 

[Eorlas]

And this is why I don't like what devs are turning to with changelogs in app updates. This "We update the app frequently to bring you better performance and ********, keep your automatic updates on and then we'll tell you in the app what's happening."

Uh no. Tell me before I press "update." That is helpful, the current setup is not.

 

[Boston007]

D@mn Instagram
It used to be so good, CLEAN and SIMPLE. Then they added d@mn videos and other ****.

Stop it! Let Snapchat be the ****** mess it is.

 

[smacrumon]

Out of new ideas, just copy the competition, and then die slowly under Facebook's watch.
[doublepost=1470151983][/doublepost]

D@mn Instagram
It used to be so good, CLEAN and SIMPLE. Then they added d@mn videos and other ****.

Stop it! Let Snapchat be the ****** mess it is.

Appreciate your viewpoint.

 

[alexandr]

i remember when instagram implemented videos and killed vine. true story.

 

[stanman64]

I don't get this new obsession with stuff that vanishes forever.

Do we not want to save cool things to look back on them later anymore? Nostalgia is a wonderful feeling; I love finding stuff I posted online 15 years ago. If I'd been using Snapchat like services back then, there would be nothing!

People like being able to share content with friends (perhaps family as well) without having to put too much thought into, "should I really share this? How does this make me look? Who will see this later down the road?" Since it disappears, it's not as big of a deal. I believe this appeals more to my demographic (college-aged). I am in graduate school, but have friends from undergrad who now have very respectable jobs with lots of responsibility and importance when it comes to public image, but oh boy should you see their snapchat stories on the weekends. It's hilarious.