Instagram now lets you chat in a four-way group while you surf – TechCrunch

Instagram Last aggression on Snapchat, FaceTime and Houseparty launches today. TechCrunch recovered in March that Instagram would launch the video call, and the feature was officially announced at F8 in May. Now it is expanding to everyone on iOS and Android, allowing four friends to group video calls via Instagram Direct.

With Streaming, Stories, Messaging, Live, IGTV and now video calling, Instagram hopes to become a one-stop shop for the social needs of its 1 billion users. This massive expansion of functionality over the past two years is paying off, TechCrunch said in an email, which estimates that the average US user spends 29 minutes a day on the application in September 2017 to 55 minutes today. More time spent means more views and potential revenue for the Facebook affiliate than a Bloomberg analyst just rated at $ 100 billion after being bought for less than $ 1 billion in 2012.

An interesting feature of the Instagram video call is that you can shrink the window and bounce off the rest of Instagram without ending the call. This opens up new opportunities for co-browsing with friends as if you were together. More friends can join an Instagram call in progress, but you can turn them off if you do not want to receive more invitations to the call. You are allowed to call anyone that you can direct a message by pressing the video button in a conversation, and blocked people can not call you.

Here's how Instagram group video calls are superimposed on alternatives:

• Instagram – 4-way plus simultaneous navigation
• Snapchat – 16 ways
• FaceTime – 32 lanes (coming soon in iOS 12 this fall)
• Houseparty – 8 lanes per room with unlimited parallel rooms
• Facebook Messenger – 6 way with up to 50 people listening via audio

Instagram is also deploying two other features promised to F8. The Explore page will now be segmented to display a variety of thematic channels that reveal the associated content below. Previously, the 200 million daily users of Explore saw only a random hodgepodge of popular content related to their interests, with only one section "Videos you might like" separate.

From now on, users will see a horizontal tray of channels above Explore, including a custom For You collection by algorithms, in addition to those like Art, Beauty, Sports and Fashion, depending on the content with which you interact regularly. Users can swipe between categories to browse, then scroll up to see more messages of everything they like. A list of sub-hashtags is displayed when you open a category, for example #MoGraph (graphical animation) or #Typeface when you open art. And if you're tired of seeing a category, you can turn it off. Strangely, Instagram completely removed Stories of Explore, but when asked, the team told us that it was planning to bring Stories back in the near future.

The enhanced Explore page could make it easier for new creators to find. Increasing the audience of these content creators is essential for Instagram as it strives to be their favorite application among the competition. Snapchat does not have a dedicated section Explore or other fan base growth opportunities, which has alienated some creators, while new Instagram theme channels are reminiscent of YouTube's Trending Mobile page.

Finally, Instagram deploys camera effects designed by partners, starting with Ariana Grande, BuzzFeed, Liz Koshy, Baby Ariel and the NBA. If you follow these accounts, you'll see their effect in the Stories camera, and you'll be able to click Try if you spot a friend using one of your friends. This opens the door to accounts all offering their own augmented reality and 2D filters without the Stories camera being overloaded with lenses that do not interest you.

What's curious is that all these features are designed to increase the time spent on Instagram, just as it is preparing to launch a Usage Insights Dashboard for tracking if you become addicted to it. # 39; s application. At least, video calls and camera effects promote active use, but Explore definitely encourages passive consumption that research shows may be unhealthy.

It is there that lies the influence of the mission and the business model of Instagram, with its commitment to the well-being of users. Despite the stated intention of CEO Kevin Systrom "at any time [spent on his app] should be positive and intentional "and that he wants Instagram to" be part of the solution ", the company earns more by keeping people glued to the screen rather than present in their lives.