4/11/17

Instagram Continues To Mimic Snapchat, Adds Disappearing Messages To Direct Inbox

In yet another apparent attempt to render Snapchat irrelevant, Instagram has incorporated its rival social media’s hallmark feature — disappearing messages — into its own platform. 

On Monday, Facebook-owned Instagram announced the addition of disappearing videos and photo notes to existing messages in its Direct Inbox feature.

With the new feature, Instagram users can send vanishing photos and videos to individuals or groups of friend directly in messages. Previously, Instagram had allowed some disappearing messages, but they were kept separate from existing messages.

The new component even works similarly to Snapchat’s version: Users send a video or photo to a friend, who can then watch the message and replay it once before it’s gone forever.

Additionally, if a message recipient wants to keep the photo, they can screen shot. However, like Snapchat, the sender will be notified that the photo has been preserved forever on your phone.

While disappearing notes are essentially the entire point of Snapchat, Instagram’s version will live solely in the app’s Direct message inbox.

To send a disappearing message, users simply visit their inbox and tap a blue camera icon. They can also select a specific message thread and tap the blue camera inside.

This, of course, isn’t the first time Instagram has mimicked Snapchat’s features. Back in Aug. 2016, Instagram debuted a Snapchat-like “Stories” feature that let users compile photos or video for sharing on their profile.

Instagram’s owner, Facebook, has also gotten into the copycat game, testing disappearing messages and adding photo filters.

No comments:

Post a Comment