These features are only being tested. But it seems that Instagram is completely focussing on the Stories section and Direct messages by introducing the video call feature.
Instagram is bringing five new features and most of them are in its Stories section. Others are minor ones, however, one can safely say that it is a mix of its parent company Facebook.
In a series of tweets by @wongmjane, the photo-sharing app is testing Story Reactions which looks quite similar to Facebook’s live emojis. These emojis are called Quick Reactions. In the Direct Messages section, the reaction to the video will appear.
Secondly, at the bottom of the Stories section, a slo-mo feature will appear. This feature could be similar to that from Snapchat.
The third feature is video calling and by the looks of the screenshot, this feature might be available in the Direct Messages section. A video recorder icon is present at the top right corner of the screen. This is just like Facebook and Instagram calling.
Moving on from Stories, it is testing the mute feature where users can mute the Stories.
Lastly, it is also bringing the Stories Archive option which will be divided into two parts. First is Stories and second is Calendar. These two tabs will be placed next to each other. Here the Calendar will show the dates on which the Stories were posted.
Not much has been revealed about this new feature, such as whether the calendar is private or if old Stories which are not saved can be viewed.
These features are only being tested. But it seems that Instagram is completely focussing on the Stories section and Direct Messages.
