Instagram bringing major changes to Stories

PanARMENIAN.Net - Just when you thought Instagram Stories was a Snapchat clone with little reason to pull you in, the company announces some pretty significant changes heading to the platform, Digital Spy said.

Seemingly in an effort to increase engagement within the feature, the Facebook-owned app has added tagging, links and Boomerang support to Stories in a fresh update.

This means that the next time you get a group selfie with the rest of the squad, tagging them will allow other users to tap straight into their profile. Unlike the tagging that occurs in photos and videos, being tagged in a Story will notify you through direct message instead of your activity feed section.

Tagging your Insta pals in your middling posts isn't the only new way to interact within Stories, though, with the app also adding support for web links within the temporary snaps.

Instagram did say this feature could drop for everyone down the line, but it does make sense for key influencers and brands to test the feature out first, Digital Spy said.

And if that wasn't enough change to make your head spin, Stories will also begin accepting Boomerang - y'know, those recurring one-second videos where everybody takes a swig of their drink or dabs, Digital Spy said.

The in-built version of the Instagram spin-off app will also allow users to switch between front and rear cameras and also capture a shorter clip.

This comes after a Story-like test feature was found within WhatsApp, another Facebook-owned app.