Instagram may seem like it's copying Snapchat with its latest announcement of having disappearing videos and photos in Instagram Direct. But in reality, they actually made the feature better.
According to Instagram, 300 million people from around the world are now using Instagram Direct each month. Many of these people are using the app's group thread to keep in touch with their closest family and friends.
With the new update, Instagram wants their users to have a more visual way of connecting with their closest friends and family. Users just need to swipe right into the camera and take a photo or video, which they could instantly send privately.
Users can choose to send their photo or video to as private messages or to a group. You'll be able to see in a slideshow format all of the people who responded to the group.
Tech Crunch reports that the the disappearing photo and video is similar to how people can send Snapchat Stories as private messages. The difference is that Instagram Direct has is that it can send it to a group.
But the thing that made Instagram Direct's disappearing photos and videos special is that the creators have full control of who can view them. Users will be able to see if someone is already viewing the content they made and they can select who can view them.
Instagram said that users can only send disappearing photos or videos to people who follow them. And this feature is in effect whether the Instagram Direct account is set to private or public.
What this means is that random people won't be able to view the content without the user knowing immediately. This is something Snapchat doesn't even offer for public accounts. Instagram made the new feature available globally last November 21, 2016.
