Instagram is testing the ability to make both audio and video calls with the platform’s website version. Its engineers are also working on integrating an auto-save feature for Drafts.
Instagram is a platform that, while having a rich and robust mobile application that is literally miles ahead of its sister platform Facebook in terms of UI and UX, has a very barebones website presence. The Instagram website infamously does not allow users to post anything, and only serves to be a glorified gallery of sorts, allowing users to swipe through and like pictures and Stories. Instagram doesn’t even really need a website, since its major draw is from mobile users. Then again, it must be nice seeing pictures in a larger aspect ratio than one’s phone can muster up, no? Instagram also hasn’t been fully negligent of its website variant, updating it every now and then to make the UI look a bit more impressive.
This recent feature is perhaps one of the most functionally active ones that have been introduced to the website in a while. While users have been able to chat with each other via the Instagram website, they haven’t been able to use any of the other features offered up by chat. Specifically, audio and video calls had been off the table since, well, the beginning. However, that may soon be subject to change. Screenshots revealed on Twitter by serial social media leaker Alessandro Paluzzi show new call and video call buttons having been added to the chat interface for Instagram’s website. This, of course, is not concrete proof of the new features being integrated. They’re still under beta testing, are not widely available, and may be rolled out of business just as quickly as they were rolled in. Instagram still wants users to use their mobile platform more than their website one. Perhaps adding too much to the latter would distract users from the more important and lucrative former.
The other feature being tested on Instagram also dramatically increases quality of life on the platform, even if this is a feature more geared up for the actual mobile version. Previously, if a draft had been made up, it could only be saved if a user tried to exit the draft interface as opposed to leaving Instagram directly. And let’s be honest: we’ve all probably lost quite a few good posts just because of muscle memory causing us to close the app before saving the draft. That, however, will no longer be a concern since auto-saves are being introduced to Instagram proper. The feature needs to be manually turned on from Story settings, since the auto-save currently extends itself to Story drafts only.
Read next: Instagram Adds A Bunch Of New Features To Its Interface, Including Editing Carousels, A New Like Sticker, And A Delete Your Account Option
Instagram is a platform that, while having a rich and robust mobile application that is literally miles ahead of its sister platform Facebook in terms of UI and UX, has a very barebones website presence. The Instagram website infamously does not allow users to post anything, and only serves to be a glorified gallery of sorts, allowing users to swipe through and like pictures and Stories. Instagram doesn’t even really need a website, since its major draw is from mobile users. Then again, it must be nice seeing pictures in a larger aspect ratio than one’s phone can muster up, no? Instagram also hasn’t been fully negligent of its website variant, updating it every now and then to make the UI look a bit more impressive.
This recent feature is perhaps one of the most functionally active ones that have been introduced to the website in a while. While users have been able to chat with each other via the Instagram website, they haven’t been able to use any of the other features offered up by chat. Specifically, audio and video calls had been off the table since, well, the beginning. However, that may soon be subject to change. Screenshots revealed on Twitter by serial social media leaker Alessandro Paluzzi show new call and video call buttons having been added to the chat interface for Instagram’s website. This, of course, is not concrete proof of the new features being integrated. They’re still under beta testing, are not widely available, and may be rolled out of business just as quickly as they were rolled in. Instagram still wants users to use their mobile platform more than their website one. Perhaps adding too much to the latter would distract users from the more important and lucrative former.
The other feature being tested on Instagram also dramatically increases quality of life on the platform, even if this is a feature more geared up for the actual mobile version. Previously, if a draft had been made up, it could only be saved if a user tried to exit the draft interface as opposed to leaving Instagram directly. And let’s be honest: we’ve all probably lost quite a few good posts just because of muscle memory causing us to close the app before saving the draft. That, however, will no longer be a concern since auto-saves are being introduced to Instagram proper. The feature needs to be manually turned on from Story settings, since the auto-save currently extends itself to Story drafts only.
#Instagram is working on the "Auto-save Drafts" option for Stories 👀 pic.twitter.com/QEW3wnzCzG
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) November 18, 2021
Read next: Instagram Adds A Bunch Of New Features To Its Interface, Including Editing Carousels, A New Like Sticker, And A Delete Your Account Option