Did Instagram just add a feature that Snapchat doesn’t have yet? And is it actually pretty cool?
Is it raining? In Cape Town? Okay, probably not, but the first two definitely happened.
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The Facebook-owned social network has announced a new feature that allows users to reply to stories with photos, videos or even boomerangs.
The feature is included in the latest update, and is simple and user-friendly. To use it, users need only tap on the camera icon at the bottom of a story to take a photo or video.
The feature includes all the frills of a normal story snap, including face filters, stickers and text. The difference? It adds a thumbnail of the photo or video to which you’re replying.
The reply goes straight to the user’s inbox, where it is treated like a disappearing photo or video which — shockingly — disappears after viewing.
It’s easy to see the potential. Say your friend is in a video with a particularly attractive guy — now you can freeze frame it, add all of the pointing hand emojis and the text “WHO IS HE?” without ever having to worry about screenshots. It’s thirst efficiency at its finest.
The feature brings about an interesting shift in the Snapchat vs Instagram dynamic, too. Just this week, the former added a links feature to its snaps not unlike the one Instagram has had for ages.
Until now, Instagram seemed to be involved in a game of catch-up with Snapchat — but the competition isn’t so clear cut anymore. And with Instagram boasting 250-million Story users ahead of Snapchat’s 166-million, it’s would be easy to assume this is the beginning of the end for the original innovator.
But if the amount of people using Instagram to promote their Snapchat are to be considered, the race is far but won.
Instagram ain’t even instagram nomore, it’s Snapchat promotion down my tl .
— JadeA
(@ShortDarkskin_) July 6, 2017
If I go on instagram and see another damn post of somebody begging for people’s snapchat names. like bye
— kyla . (@_SupremeK) July 6, 2017
