Instagram is taking on Snapchat by launching a new live stream feature called Instagram Live. The company first unveiled this feature in November, as a way to connect with your friends and followers right now. Instagram says the feature is rolling out to all US users this very day. It’s a bit different than the way Facebook and others handle live video, though. Instagram CEO and CTO Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger respectively are live streaming the event over at the official Instagram account.
The Live features can be found on Instagram stories, and you can get them by swiping into the Stories camera area and then tapping the “Start Live Video” button and start sharing for up to an hour. Instagram says that when going live, your friends may get a notification that you have gone life so that they can tune in. While going live, you can post a comment that is visible to everyone or even turn off comments.
If you don’t currently see the live option, quit the Instagram iOS application forcefully to help trigger its visibility on Instagram.
But what makes Instagram’s approach different from Facebook and others is that once a live video has concluded, you can’t save videos to watch or share them again later i.e. they disappear once you are done broadcasting. There is a “Top Live” section in the Instagram Explore section now that points you toward popular live videos happening at any time. But once they are over they disappear. According to Instagram videos disappear so that you can share data at an ease and at any point of time.
If you are in the US, live video will be available on Android and iOS within a few days.
