Instagram is adding three new features to its app ahead of the holiday season. The Meta-owned social network site is currently rolling out two of these features across the globe, while one appears to be exclusive to the U.S. as of now.
First up is Playback, which allows you to relive some of your Instagram Stories from the past 12 months. However, users need to have posted at least three stories over the past year for the suggestions to pop up. A user’s Playback could have up to 10 stories, which can then be shared with their followers. Given the nature of the feature, it’s likely that it will only last until the end of the year.
Reel Visual Replies is designed to improve engagement between creators and their audiences
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri also talked about Reels Visual Replies. This feature allows creators to improve engagement by replying to a user query with a 60-second Reel. Creators can find the Reels Visual Replies option near the comment reply icon. Mosseri touts this as an effective tool to increase exposure on the platform by answering individual questions with a video.
Lastly, Mosseri revealed the launch of Profile Embed, which works similarly to embedding full Instagram posts. With Profile Embed, Instagram users can embed their entire profile, offering a snapshot of their recent posts.
🎉 New Features 🎉
We’ve rolled out some pretty fun new features this week that I wanted to share with you:
– #IGPlayback
– Reels Visual Replies
– Profile Embed (US only for now)Any new features you’d like to see? Let me know! 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/p8mvtJn4kA
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) December 16, 2021
This would help “showcase your Instagram content on a website somewhere or link to someone else’s,” Mosseri said in a video posted on Twitter. Profile Embed is a U.S.-only feature as of now, though that could change soon.
Notably, these aren’t the only features coming to the platform in the near future. Instagram said earlier this month that it is bringing extensive parental controls to the platform by March 2022.
These additions would allow parents or guardians to monitor the time kids spend on the app while also notifying them when their child reports another profile. This is in addition to the “Take a Break” feature already rolling out on Instagram, which reminds users to step away from the platform in predetermined time intervals.
These measures are part of a broader push to make Instagram a safer place for children and teens. While the Instagram head has been pitching for a new kids’ version of Instagram, the company appears to have canceled those plans for the time being.
2021-12-20 15:06:19