Instagram Rollout A New Feature 'Co-Watching'

Instagram has launched a new feature called Co-Watching that allows users to share photos and videos over video chat to watch together. This feature has been prototyping since last year but the company decided to push forward the launch in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instagram hopes the feature will offer users more ways to “come together right now” during the time of quarantine and work from home.

How it works

Photo from Instagram

Co-Watching lets you view posts with your friends over video chat within Instagram — including saved, liked, and suggested photos/videos. 

To enable this new feature, click the video icon within an already existing DM thread, or click the plus sign in the top of the Direct inbox to create your desired chat group and click the video icon from there. From here, tap the photo icon in the bottom left corner of your video chat to display posts that you can view together as a group. 

In addition to releasing features to help users stay connected while self-isolating, Instagram is also adding tools to help us stay informed with up-to-date and accurate facts about COVID-19.

Accessing Accurate Information

Photo from Instagram

People who search for information related to the coronavirus or COVID-19 on Instagram will start to see an educational message connecting them to resources from the World Health Organization and local health ministries.

To reduce the circulation of misinformation, Instagram has announced that it will be removing COVID-19 accounts from account recommendations and some COVID-19 related content from Explore, unless posted by a credible health organisation.

Photo from Instagram

You may have also noticed the new Stay Home button fixed at the top left of your Instagram Story carousel, which aggregates all the Stories of people you follow who are using the Stay Home sticker to document how they're passing the time while practising social distancing at home.

Share this post with your friends and try out the new feature! ?

Text by: GirlStyle SG