Instagram Stories is Quietly Testing a New Feature
It's being tested on a select group of 'grammers.
One of the longest-awaited Instagram features has finally arrived.
The social platform is testing a new Stories feature in the style of “quote tweeting,” which some Instagram users appear to have received early, Tech Crunch’s Josh Constine first reported on Monday. The new feature allows Instagram users to share others’ public, permanent posts with their own captions, all thanks to a brand new “see post” tab.
Instagram did not immediately return a request for comment, but the company confirmed to Tech Crunch that the new “regram” feature is available to a small group of beta users. “We’re always testing ways to make it easier to share any moment with friends on Instagram” a spokesperson said.
The way the new “re-gram” feature works is that it allows users to tap on the aforementioned “see post” button, which then allows them to embed the said post into their own Story. This would also help give credit to the original poster, thus reducing the number of stolen content on the platform. Of course, folks who don’t want their ‘grams being shared and mocked up — perhaps for privacy reasons — can opt-out of the feature by turning it off.
This is the company’s first ever official foray into a “share” button feature. Up until now, Instagram users have only been able to share posts through third-party apps like Regram and Repost. Instagram hasn’t announced plans to release the new feature beyond its current testing market.
Given that Instagram still lacks a true “re-share” function like Facebook and Twitter, the move can help push its appeal even wider. Creating more sharing options can also place Instagram at an advantage over Snapchat, which continues to be its largest competitor.
