Instagram has two upcoming features that are already buried - in plain sight - deep in its code, according to a new report.A teardown of Instagram’s code has uncovered several files that suggest it will soon offer voice and video calling features, TechCrunch has reported. The files, which are labeled “call” and “video call” and include phone and camera icons, are now available in the app’s Android application packages (APKs). APKs contain an app’s code and can reveal files for features that have yet to be launched.If and when Instagram does turn on these features, it would make the app a more compelling service, especially when compared to Snapchat, which already has video calling, though you have to go through several menus to find it. For instance, you have to go to a friend’s profile and then select the call button in their chat screen. However, Snapchat's calling feature allows you to use AR lenses.Instagram is known for copying … [Read more...] about Instagram’s code suggests app is about to add voice and video calling
Instagram might add audio and video calling features that I didn’t ask for
TechCrunch reports that Instagram’s Android APK includes icons for an interface that would allow audio and video calls, indicating that the service might soon make those features available. That’s Instagram mimicking Snapchat again, and it seems to me like it’s copying this functionality at the risk of diluting the app’s experience. That’s a bummer, because I really like Instagram. If Snapchat’s system is anything to go by, people will be able to call the Instagram users they follow, unless they restrict the feature to only allow pings from people they follow back. Instagram previously added the ability to join Stories via video a few months ago, so perhaps we should have seen this coming. I’m not a fan of this trend of baking every possible functionality into apps just because you can do it – and with Instagram, it feels like it’s all too easy to mar the experience by tacking on too much stuff. I’m happy to broadcast my … [Read more...] about Instagram might add audio and video calling features that I didn’t ask for
Instagram code discovery points to upcoming voice and video calling features
Instagram may soon adopt voice and video calling features if files discovered in the app’s Android Application Packages (APKs) are any indication. The files, first tipped by TechCrunch, are labeled “call” and “video call” with matching phone and video camera icons. APKs contain all of an app’s code and can often serve as storage for new features before they launch publicly. Assuming Instagram does roll out the new communication features, it would make the app an even greater threat to Snapchat. As The Verge highlights, Snapchat already has video calling but it isn’t frictionless. Adding those features to Instagram and making them seamless to access would give users even less of a reason to leave the Instagram app. Plus, now would be the perfect time for Instagram to strike as Snapchat is reeling from a redesign that didn’t exactly go over well with users. If you recall, more than 1.2 million people signed a Change.org petition asking the … [Read more...] about Instagram code discovery points to upcoming voice and video calling features
Voice and video calling could be coming to Instagram very soon
Instagram and Instagram Direct APK files hint that voice and video calling will be added in a future update. Report from January suggested the feature could debut in the coming months. Rumors of call support comes as Instagram’s rival Snapchat struggles with a widespread user backlash. Instagram could be about to expand its feature list yet again with the addition of voice and video calling. Rumors began swirling that the photo-sharing app could add call functionality to its chat system earlier this year, and now files within the APK have all-but-confirmed that it is on the way.Icons with filenames like “action_call” and “video_call” were first spotted by a TechCrunch reader, which hints that Instagram is testing the feature internally before a public release. References to voice and video calls have also been discovered in the standalone Direct app which launched late last year.Editor's PickFacebook may launch two smart speakers this July Facebook is set … [Read more...] about Voice and video calling could be coming to Instagram very soon
Direct is Instagram’s test to duplicate the success of Facebook Messenger
The Verge It looks like Instagram is thinking strongly about doing something that its parent company, Facebook, did a few years ago. A new report reveals that Instagram is currently testing Direct, an app for direct messaging for its users, in a select few countries. Editor's Pick10 best apps like Instagram Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks on the planet. It's the de facto place for people to share pictures of almost everything. Some people really like the idea, but not the … As first reported by The Verge, Direct is currently available in Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and Uruguay. If a user in one of those countries downloads Direct, their inbox from the main app goes away and is replaced by this new standalone app for private messaging with other Instagram users. According to Hemal Shah, an Instagram product manager, the reason for this limited test launch for Direct is that the company feels that such features can only be … [Read more...] about Direct is Instagram’s test to duplicate the success of Facebook Messenger