‘Instagram’ Latest Features: Know About URL Links, @mentioned And Boomerang, Also Upcoming Live Videos

The photo sharing application "Instagram" has implemented a makeover to add more features. With the latest update, it is adding options to link to stories, Boomerang, @mentions. Additionally, it is planning to add live videos feature. All of these options are intended to make people more engaged with Instagram and at the same time useful to image publishers, especially people who run the Instagram accounts professionally.

URL Links

The Instagram users can add web links to their stories from their posts. It works quite similar to other applications which allow URL links in their sites. The link page will be opened in a web browser. The feature works quite professionally in Instagram and won't show a URL link seen in the image, instead, it shows an option showing "See More", which would have the link to the particular web page.

It should be noted that the feature is currently enabled to only verified accounts holders of Instagram and there is no official information is provided in case of other users. This could be useful to blog writers, creative professionals, advertisers etc., to promote their products through Instagram.

@mentions

This works in such a way that after uploading images in Instagram, the user can tag other users of Instagram to the image by giving "@" and then their Instagram username. This @mentions would appear over the image and as soon as it is clicked by someone he would be taken to the tagged person's account.

Now you can mention people in your Instagram Stories. Try it with your friends! https://t.co/sdYOni8nwc pic.twitter.com/gvF6VFSNOI

— Instagram (@instagram) November 10, 2016

When the tagged person is not following the tagger, the comments and captions under the post will be shown in their "requests" folder, but if followed, the tagged person will receive notifications for the comments. People can add up to 10 tags maximum, but it should be remembered that too much tagging would be overcrowded and make the image less attractive.

Boomerang

It is a video loop of one-second and user can create it and add to Instagram stories to make curiosity about the post in the social media. Users can swipe to Boomerang mode and capture the video while uploading the story. It should be noted that the user had to go to Boomerang app to capture the video, but now it is synced to Instagram and people can use it.

Starting today, you can take and share a Boomerang right inside Instagram Stories! https://t.co/sdYOni8nwc pic.twitter.com/Aj75EfHGGN — Instagram (@instagram) November 10, 2016

It has plans to add live videos to the platform and it would benefit 500 million active users of Instagram. The secret testing of the feature was reported last month, but now it is confirmed. But the date of the update is still not known.

The new features in Instagram are expected to make the platform more user-friendly. Considering the penetration of apps and specific features, it will try to add more options, especially when Snapchat Spectacles are introduced in the market to make its 10 seconds video footage capture easier.