Instagram launches its BeReal clone and a "Notes" feature

Instagram is introducing a set of new features that the platform hopes will help users better connect and share with their friends.

One of these is Candid Stories, a feature that awfully resembles BeReal, a popular photo-sharing social media app. Much like BeReal, Candid Stories notifies you daily to capture and share two unfiltered photos of what you are doing in real-time through your phone's front and rear cameras. You can also use capture candids from the Stories camera or a multi-author Story, and enhance your posts with text and doodles. If you don't want to receive the daily notification reminder, you can turn it off in Settings.

Instagram is testing Candid Stories in South Africa starting Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. It is not yet known when the capability will be available globally.

Another feature is Notes, which allows you to share short posts of up to 60 characters with people who follow you back or users you designate as close friends. Notes, which are now rolling out to everyone, will appear as thought bubbles above your profile picture in a user's inbox. Replies to your notes will appear as direct messages.

Instagram is also testing other features. One of these is include Group Profile, which lets members share posts and stories with each other, rather than all of their followers. Another is Collaborative Collections, which allows you to share saved content like memes or fashion items with another user. Finally, Instagram's Add Yours function that encourages users to share content to Stories is getting a nomination feature, so you can invite specific friends to participate by passing on a prompt that reminds you of them.

Group Profiles are already being tested in Canada, Chile, and Taiwan. Collaborative Collections and Add Yours nominations, on the other hand, will commence testing this coming Tuesday for a limited number of users worldwide.

Via: Wall Street Journal

Instagram launches its BeReal clone and a "Notes" feature