Instagram is betting that its 2023 will be filled with collaborations, candids, and chatty posts. The Meta-owned platform has announced a slew of new features, including a new type of Story that seems to mimic the spontaneity of the breakout app BeReal.
While some copycats (including Instagram itself) have ripped off BeReal by adopting a dual-faced camera, the latest attempt to ape the app is targeting its culture, not its technology. Instagram’s Candid Stories will only be visible to users who opt into them. If you turn on the new feature, you’ll receive a daily notification prompting you to post a candid photo. The idea is to encourage immediate imagery that can contrast against the highly edited, filtered pics that are common on Instagram feeds.
If you’re not interested in that format, Instagram is offering several other new methods for connecting with your friends. For users who are tired of managing the permissions on their finstas, Group Profiles will allow for the creation of accounts that only share content with a specific selection of people. Anyone who is part of a Group Profile can post to it.
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“People often create group chats on Instagram to share entertaining content, bond over memories, and make plans with friends,” reads a Meta blog post. “We’re testing new features to give people more ways to collaborate and connect with friends in groups.”
Another tool designed to bring creators together is Collaborative Collections. The shared folders provide compendiums of liked posts. Anyone who is granted access to a collection can add their favorite content to it. Just as Group Profiles assists finsta creators, Collaborative Collections is a new asset for group DMs, which have become valuable social hubs, especially during the pandemic.
Finally, there are Notes. These 60-character snippets, consisting of text and emojis, can be sent to designated Close Friends and mutual follows. Those messages get increased visibility, as they will appear at the top of the recipient’s feed for 24 hours.
Notes, like Collaborative Collections and Candid Stories, is currently in the testing phase. Group Profiles are in development but should roll out “soon,” according to Instagram.
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Look for these features to hit your Insta feed in the near future. The app provided more details about its forthcoming updates through a blog post.
