Instagram Torments Snapchat With Live Video Broadcasts And Vanishing DM

Photo and video sharing app, Instagram, has taken another swipe at rival app, Snapchat, by adding two new features to enable its users broadcast live videos and send disappearing photos and video messages to followers via direct messages.It would be recalled that the Facebook-owned company had, in August, introduced a Snapchat-like feature called Instagram Stories, which saw critics condemning the company for copying some Snapchat features verbatim.

The new features which was announced on Monday, allow users execute a live streaming that can be viewed by their friends and followers. Lasting up to one hour, these photos and videos, unlike the usual messages sent in Instagram Direct, will disappear from your friends’ inboxes after they have been viewed.

Instagram live video broadcasts are not saved, so can only be viewed while they are taking place “so you can feel more comfortable sharing anything, anytime,” according to the photo and video sharing service.

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“Send anything you want, from inside jokes to your worst selfies,” Instagram said in a blog post.

“Unlike other messages in Direct, these photos and videos disappear from your friends’ inboxes after they have seen them.

“Now, you can send disappearing photos and videos directly to groups and individual friends in a spontaneous, pressure-free way,” the post added.

The option to broadcast live on Instagram follows in the footsteps of a Facebook Live feature

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According to Instagram, around 300 million people use the app’s direct message feature globally, up from 80 million last year.

Meanwhile, critics claim that Instagram has scraped all the popular features of Snapchat app after making failed attempt to acquire the Southern California-based company.

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