Conversations with your friends won’t be the only thing that shows up inside your WhatsApp next year. Facebook has confirmed ads will also start appearing in 2020.
You’ll see them in WhatsApp Status, the messaging platform’s answer to Instagram Stories.
Instagram revealed today that it is making changes to its Explore tab to start promoting Stories from people you don’t follow.
The Explore tab is also getting redesigned with a new navigation bar that has shortcuts for Shopping and IGTV to go with channel topics that Instagram’s algorithms think you’ll be interested in. Adding Stories to the Explore tab gives users a new way to discover great content you don’t follow as well as giving your content another avenue towards peoples eyeballs. But actually getting your Stories onto the Explore tab isn’t all that simple.
You no longer have to expose your Instagram Stories to every single follower. A new feature, which goes live today after 17 months of testing, lets users share only with their closest friends.
Here’s how the Close Friends list works on iOS.
Striking up a conversation on Instagram just became as easy as slapping a sticker on your Story.
Instagram revealed today that it has added a new feature called Question Stickers that gives users a new way to ask and receive questions from followers so you can get more acquainted with each other.
Great music can turn crappy videos into a killer video and starting today, Instagram wants to make it way easier for you to up your music game on Instagram Stories.
Adding a soundtrack to Instagram Stories just got as easy as adding a sticker, GIF, or location. The app is rolling out an update today that gives users in 6 countries the ability to choose from thousands of licensed songs to put attach to your videos or photos.
Snapchat has finally begun reviving its chronological Stories feed, fixing the mess that was introduced with its most recent visual revamp.
Some users now have a new “Stories” section in their Friends tab, which filters out those who haven’t posted anything in over 24 hours.
Snapchat just rolled out a big update that gives users the ability to tag friends in Stories and enjoy chaotic group video chats with up to 16 people. It has also added support for even more ridiculous voice calls that support up to 32 people.
Snapchat has promised to make changes to its app after a Change.org petition attracted more than 1.2 million signatures from disgruntled users.
Snap has endured growing backlash from fans following a controversial redesign, with many calling for the company to revert to its old user interface. Now the company says it is planning adjustments to the Friends and Discover sections.
Instagram is taking another swipe at Snapchat with a new feature called “Type.” It allows users to post text to their Stories — without adding a photo or video — and it’s in testing now ahead of a wider rollout. Another Snapchat feature is also on its way.
Instagram is testing a feature that allows users to share their stories directly to WhatsApp.
They appear as WhatsApp status updates, and just like on Instagram, they’re visible for 24 hours. It seems only a small number of users have access to the feature for now.
Stories, the short-video format popularized by Snapchat, is making its way to YouTube.
Everyone from Instagram to Facebook Messenger has already copied Snapchat’s popular, so it should be little surprise that YouTube has decided to get in on the action too. The video platform revealed to creators today that it’s working on a new feature called “Reels” that is a lot like Stores. Only it comes with some major differences.
Instagram has started giving users the ability to cross-post their Stories to Facebook Stories.
After testing the feature in Portugal last month, the company is now migrating it to U.S. users. Facebook says it should be available to everyone soon, if not already.
Now that Stories are huge on Instagram, the company is doing all it can to maintain its incredible growth. Today, it is added the ability to send photo and video replies to your friends.
You have to feel for Snapchat. Not only are its best features constantly ripped off by the competition, but they’re sometimes even more popular on rival platforms.
Take Stories, for example. Less than a year after being copied, the feature is already more popular on Instagram than the entire Snapchat service.
Instagram’s streak of sniping features from Snapchat isn’t about to stop with today’s new addition of Face Filters.
Location-based stories are set to be the next big feature Instagram adds to its toolset, only instead of just copying the way Snapchat curates stories, Instagram plans to tap into one of its ‘hidden gems’ to make stories a powerful tool for all users.
Instagram’s fight to stay ahead of Snapchat involves stealing its best features so that users have no reason to switch. That continues today with the introduction of Face Filters, which, just like Snapchat’s, apply things like glasses, hats, animal ears, and more to your selfies.
Twitter is taking the fight to Snapchat and Instagram by opening Moments up to all. The feature will initially be available to influencers, partners, and brands — but all Twitter users will be able to get their hands on it “in the coming months.”
Snapchat been about ephemeral moments since its inception, but starting today the app is about to get a lot better at keeping tabs on your past too.
With Snapchat’s new feature called Memories, the app now lets users save Snaps and Stories so you can use them in the app later.
