Instagram introduces a new feature that users have long been asking for: Instagram video calling lets you have conversations with one of your friends, or several people at once.
Instagram video calling now available
Slowly but surely, Instagram is becoming an increasingly complete social network. After adding private conversations, it is also possible to video call people via Instagram right from the chat window. The feature was announced at Facebook’s F8 conference in May, and is available now.
To make a video call, all members must have an Instagram account. You don’t need a phone number, and it doesn’t matter whether someone is using iOS or Android. You activate the function via the steps below.
- Open Instagram;
- Swipe from left to right to open your Inbox;
- Open a chat conversation;
- Tap the new camera icon in the right corner;
- Wait for the other person to answer.
You can continue to use the app while you are having an Instagram video chat with someone. By minimizing the video you can, for example, scroll through your timeline, send messages to others or add a photo to your Instagram Story.
In addition, it is possible to have a video chat with a maximum of four people at the same time. As soon as a video chat has been started in a group conversation, the camera icon changes to a blue color. By tapping this you will be added automatically, and by pressing the red phone you will leave the conversation. You can switch the notifications for video chat on and off via the Instagram settings.
New functions for explore and additional filters
In addition to video calls, Instagram is also introducing a new feature for the Explore tab. Here you can now more easily browse between different topic channels. This makes it possible, for example, to quickly go to posts about animals, travel or art. The ‘For You’ channel consists entirely of posts tailored to your taste. Finally, Instagram introduces a series of new camera effects designed by Ariana Grande, Buzzfeed, Liza Koshy, Baby Ariel and NBA.
Apple will also introduce video chat for its chat platform FaceTime this fall with the arrival of iOS 12. There, up to 32 people can have a conversation with each other at the same time, although this function only works with people who have an iPhone, iPad or Mac.