Snapchat allows people to scan QR codes to easily find and add others, which makes things more convenient. Instagram wants that, too and might actually get it.
Instagram and its parent company, Facebook, have been borrowing various Snapchat features so far, and the latest one is currently in testing. For now, adding someone on Instagram involves the standard process of searching for their profile using their username, then adding them. It's not an enormous hassle, but it's not the easiest either as it is on Snapchat.
Scanning Friend Tags
Those who have Snapchat accounts likely know already that the social network allows users to create custom QR codes that others can scan to find their profile on the spot. They're called friend tags, and they can be quite useful in a number of scenarios.
As TechCrunch first reported, Instagram is testing its own version of Snapchat's friend tags, and calling the feature Nametags. A Twitter user later added a demo video of the beta feature and the whole process seems very similar to Snapchat's.
Instagram Nametags
With Nametags, Instagram wants to let users create special images that would work like Snapchat's QR codes. Others could then open Instagram Stories and use the app's camera to scan the image in question, thus, easily finding the page without doing any additional search.
It could come particularly handy for those who want to promote their Instagram account to as many people as possible, whether it's a personal account or a business one. It could also make it easier to add someone on the spot if they open their Nametag and let one scan it. Printing the custom images could further widen their reach.
Snapchat's QR codes are widely used by all sorts of users and accounts, and Instagram could significantly boost user engagement if it adds a similar option. The fact that Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that it's currently testing the feature proves that it's serious about trying to implement it but doesn't actually guarantee that the option will make it to the end users.
Instagram is always trying out various new features or improvements, but not all of them make the cut. Since this is just a test, for now, it remains to be seen how things will work out. If the test proves to be successful, however, the Nametags feature could soon roll out to all Instagram users worldwide.
Would you like such a feature on Instagram?
