Date Posted: Wednesday 27th June 2018
Instagram has announced the launch of a variety of new features including Video Chat in Instagram Direct, Topic Channels on Explore and New Camera Effects.
Video Chat in Instagram Direct
Users can now video chat in Instagram Direct, either with just one person or a group. Video chat gives users the experience of real-time video in a private space and allows them to seamlessly connect across iOS and Android without a phone number.
To start a video chat, swipe into the Direct inbox and open any message thread. Tap the new camera icon in the right corner, and the video chat will ring the friends’ phones so they don’t miss it. While on the video chat, users can minimize the video and multitask on Instagram, sending messages and photos in Direct, browsing their feed, posting a story and more.
Users can video chat with up to four people at a time and the video will expand as more friends join. If there’s an active video chat in a group thread, the camera icon will turn blue. Simply tap the camera to join. Users can video chat with anyone they have an active Direct thread with. If users block a person, they will no longer be able to video chat with them.
Topic Channels on Explore
Topic channels on Explore give users new ways to discover interests on Instagram. Over 200 million people visit Explore every day to discover new ideas and find inspiration. With topic channels, users can be more intentional about how they navigate posts on Explore. When opening the page, users will see a tray at the top with personalized channels. This includes a ‘For You’ channel, which has a mix of posts tailored to their interests. They will also see channels on topics they might like such as Art, Sports, Beauty or Fashion – as well as a list of hashtags, giving the user more ways to explore their interests.
Users can browse through a variety of interests by swiping from grid to grid, or can go deep into a specific interest by tapping on a channel and scrolling up. To remove a topic channel, press and hold the channel and select ‘Mute’ from the menu. This sends the channel to the end of the tray, giving the option to unmute it at any time.
New Camera Effects
Instagram has also launched the first batch of new camera effects designed by Ariana Grande, Buzzfeed, Liza Koshy, Baby Ariel and NBA in the Instagram camera.
