Eventually, all social media/messaging apps are going to look the same. At least, that’s the impression we get following Instagram’s release of a new feature that looks an awful lot like the Snapchat’s “Stories” functionality that lets users compile photos or video for sharing on their profile.
Instagram’s Stories — they didn’t even come up with a different name from what Snapchat offers — also allow users to share a 24-hour snapshot of personal photos or videos with friends who follow them.
“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,” Instagram said in a blog post about the feature. “As you share multiple photos and videos, they appear together in a slideshow format: your story.”
If the idea sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Snapchat’s feature follows the same virtual diary concept: users take photos throughout the day, add them to “stories” for others to see, and they disappear after 24 hours.
Users’ stories are stored on a bar above Instagram’s traditional newsfeed. To view the reel of photos and videos, users simply touch another person’s profile photo.
Unlike Snapchat’s Stories function, Instagram’s variation allows users to go back and view the stories multiple times, while Snapchat’s simply disappear.
“Instagram has always been a place to share the moments you want to remember,” the company said. “Now you can share your highlights and everything in between, too.”
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist