Photo-sharing service Instagram has launched a new feature that will see it go toe-to-toe with Snapchat. Instagram stories allows users to share all the moments of their day in slideshow format.
Instagram say their new 'Stories' feature means users don't have to worry about over-posting. Instead, they can share as much as they want to throughout the day — bringing stories to life in new ways with text and drawing tools. The photos and videos will disappear after 24 hours.
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.