Instagram Launches Snapchat-like “Stories” | Find Out How it Works

Instagram has launched a new update that lets you share all the moments of your day – more like Snapchat.

This latest addition lets you share photos and videos which will appear together in a slideshow format that will last for only 24 hours.

With this feature you can share with your friends, family, and followers your activities and experiences each day.

Here’s how it works:

With Instagram Stories, you don’t have to worry about over posting. Instead, you can share as much as you want throughout the day — with as much creativity as you want. You can bring your story to life in new ways with text and drawing tools. The photos and videos will disappear after 24 hours and won’t appear on your profile grid or in feed.

You’ll see stories from people you follow in a bar at the top of your feed – from your best friends to your favorite popular accounts. When there’s something new to see, their profile photo will have a colorful ring around it.

To view someone’s story, just tap on their profile photo. It’s easy to view stories at your own pace: tap to go back and forward or swipe to jump to another person’s story. If you want to comment on something you see, you can tap and send a private message to that person on Instagram Direct. Unlike regular posts, there are no likes or public comments.

Your story follows the privacy settings of your account. If you set your account to private, your story is visible only to your followers. However, you can also easily hide your entire story from anyone you don’t want to see it, even if they follow you. When watching your own story, swipe up to check out who’s seen each photo and video. You can even choose to feature a particular part of your story by posting it on your profile.

Instagram Stories will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks on iOS and Android.

Facebook had tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion in 2013 after it bought Instagram, but Snapchat’s CEO, Evan Spiegel rejected the mouth-watering sum.

Photo Credit: Instagram