Instagram started providing a live function in Instagram Stories in the United States during the later months of 2016. Users from different countries could not enjoy the video broadcasting feature. However, the feature will soon be facing worldwide release, as what was announced on Tuesday by the sensational Facebook-owned company.
All Instagram users will soon be allowed to broadcast videos by the end of the week. According to Instagram, this is a brand new way to connect with your online followers and friends. Live broadcasts are supported as of Instagram version 10.0. A Top Live section found in the Explore tab will highlight all the most popular user streams.
Users will need to update the Instagram app on their mobile devices through the Google Play Store to access the update. After the Instagram app update, users can then broadcast from their account as they swipe right on the Instagram Feed then tap the "Start Live Video". Just like Facebook, friends and followers will receive a notification when you decide to start your broadcast. Friends and followers can also drop some comments and an Instagram heart. The live streaming will also be lasting up to 60 minutes.
Instagram will also be banking on the popularity of Stories as they announced on January that Stories will be welcoming ads. We imagine that the company definitely benefit a lot from this as Instagram already has 600 million monthly active users, with a daily active Instagram user count of 300 million.
Users should note that unlike Facebook or YouTube, the live streams will not be saved. They will be gone from Instagram's servers when Instagram users finish their streams.
Many mobile users have already noted that Instagram's Stories feature looks like Snapchat's. It did not stop developers from adopting the ability to draw, add texts and emojis on photos.
