A handful of new Instagram features were announced at Facebook’s F8 developers’ conference and Instagram video chat was one of them. The company is now rolling out those features for the photo-sharing app. Instagram video chat has gone live today alongside the Explore tab redesign and third-party AR filters.
When it announced video chat, Instagram revealed that more than 100 million users watch or share on Live every single day. It also acknowledged that its users have asked to experience real-time video in a smaller group.
That’s why it’s bringing video chat functionality to Instagram. Friends will be able to start a video chat by tapping on the new camera icon at the top of a Direct thread. They can chat one-on-one or with a small group and can keep the conversation going for as long as they like as there are no time limits.
Instagram has also unlocked the ability to third parties to design unique AR camera filters to provide more variety to users. Custom filters from BuzzFeed, Ariana Grande, and the NBA will be available at launch with more to arrive from others soon.
The redesigned Explore tab is going to make it easier for users to discover new ideas and people on Instagram. The recommendations will still be personalized but the content will be sorted into topic channels so users can browse their interests and dive deeper into the ones they like the most.
All of these features are rolling out today on Instagram for Android and iOS.