Instagram announced two new features to compete better with other social messaging apps: live video on Instagram Stories and disappearing photos and videos in Instagram Direct.
Instagram Stories was first introduced in August as a way to share spontaneous images, which disappear after 24 hours rather than remaining part of the user's feed. Instagram said over 100 million people are now using Stories every day. Live stories will allow users to stream live video for up to an hour on their profile. When the feed ends, the live story disappears from the app. The new feature will be rolling out globally in the coming weeks.
Also new is disappearing photos and videos in Instagram Direct, the app's service for closed messages to groups and individual contacts. Instagram said Direct is used by over 300 million people each month. With the new feature, users can send photos and videos to contacts that disappear after being viewed.