Instagram Is Rolling Out Video Call and Other Awesome Features to Spice Up The App

One of the leading social media platforms with over 800 million monthly active as at the time this post was publish in 2018, Instagram is taking another step towards the future of the already awesome application owned by Facebook. Instagram is rolling out a lot of new features today, and it includes video chat and a redesigned Explore page.

The new Explore page will now feature buttons at the top of the page in a carousel, giving Instagram users the option to swipe through subjects like pets and photography to see more posts on that particular topic.

The new rollout means users will be able to browse more content based on your interest. IG’s Explore page is traditionally a page where Instagram compiles posts it thinks you might like, and the page is designed to let users discover new content, people, or brands to follow. It has been rejigged several times in the past, including updates to show photos from people you actually know, bringing Stories onto the page, and making videos more prominent.

They have also added video chat for users, which is currently in a testing phase and will roll out globally “soon.” To start a video chat, just tap the new camera icon at the top of a direct messaging thread with the people you want to call.

To create a group conversation or direct messaging thread on Instagram, just tap on the paper airplane icon in the top right corner of your feed, tap the + sign, then select two or more people to start a group chat.

Video chat now allows you to chat with one person or a small group of users, and you can minimize the video screen during the conversation and continue to chat while browsing IG. Video chat has been a rumored feature for the past few months, though Instagram hasn’t specified how many people can participate in a video call at a given time. Today’s update adds to a host of features that Instagram has been building to turn the app into a full-fledged messaging service, rather than the photo-sharing network it began as.

According to Instagram’s source, the video chat and the new Explore page will be rolling out to all users over the coming weeks.