Big things are coming to Instagram. For one, there's a new "Remix" feature that lets users vandalize their friends' photos with doodles and stickers, a move that reaffirms Instagram's intent to make photo-sharing as social as possible.
Instagram Remix
Remix only works in direct messages, though. After a friend sends a photo, the user may play with it however they like. Add custom text, place stickers, draw crude doodles, whatever. Then they can send it back superimposed onto their own photo.
That way, the friend's photo becomes part of the new one. That sounds confusing, because of course it is. Every photo response gets stacked below the starting photo, essentially resulting in a compiled collage. Check the photo below to see what that looks like:
In addition, Instagram is also introducing ways for the user to control how their content is played by the receiver: they can choose "One View" if they want it played only once, or they can opt for "Allow Replay" to let friends view them multiple times. Photos sent with Allow Replay on are automatically looped, but friends can tap and hold on it to pause.
Remix, alongside new replay controls, are now available as part of Instagram version 24 for both iOS and Android.
Regram Button Teased
Instagram might have more things in store. As The Next Web has discovered, the photo-sharing service is apparently testing a native regram button right below posts, which presumably would allow users to share other people's Instagram photos and videos.
Among the features Instagram lacks, this is perhaps the most requested. There's currently no way to share Instagram posts within the app itself; users often resort to third-party services, such as the Regram app for Android. How this would work remains much of a mystery, however. Will shared posts be added to the user's main feed? Will there be a new tab dedicated to such content? As always, time will tell.
GIFs On Instagram
Aside from a regram button, Instagram might be adding the ability to search for and add GIFs to Stories and posts. The integration seems to be built on Giphy, a popular third-party GIF service major websites — like Twitter, Facebook, and others — use.
Archive Stories
Stories can soon be saved in a personal archive on Instagram. It's not clear whether this feature would allow user to save Stories forever or for a set period only. However, the latter is more likely possible, seeing as Stories are inherently ephemeral.
What do you make of Instagram's new Remix feature, along with the upcoming changes highlighted above? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
