Instagram is rolling out a new feature that lets you chat and share your feed with friends – without anyone leaving their home.
The new Instagram tool, which invites users to browse posts together via video chat, is called Co-Watching. All users need to do is start a video call to share saved, liked and suggested images and videos with others in real time.
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Video chats can include up to six participants, making them the perfect replacement for evening and weekend meetups when you can’t make it to your friend’s house to… sit and scroll with them in person.
If you’re new to video chats on the image sharing platform, it’s pretty straightforward. All you need to do is open up the Instagram app, tap the arrow icon in the top right corner, tap the video camera icon in the top right, tap on your friends’ names and tap ‘Start’.
Once you’re in a call, you can start Co-Watching by tapping the photo icon in the bottom left of the chat.
The social network unveiled the new feature in a statement shared today, titled ‘Keeping People Informed, Safe, and Supported on Instagram’.
“Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency in January, we’ve taken steps to help people access accurate information, stay safe, and stay connected,” wrote Instagram in the post.
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Other updates announced today include more educational resources in Instagram Search, new stickers to promote accurate information, removal of Covid-19 content and accounts from recommendations and the rollout of the donation sticker in more countries.
Instagram has also created the ‘Stay Home’ sticker to encourage users to share and promote social distancing content. Images and videos featuring this sticker will be added to a shared Instagram story on your feed.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.