Instagram has officially launched 4-way group video chats that let you scroll through Instagram with your friends while you chat.
Expected, and finally announced at F8 in May, group video chat is coming to your phone today. The feature allows for up to four friends to chat in a group video call through Instagram Direct, while letting them browse through their feed.
Although other platforms offer a higher limit of users who can join a group video call (Snapchat is 15, FaceTime 32, Messenger 6), Instagram is the first platform to really allow for simultaneous browsing through its app.
The group video call allows you to call any of your Instagram friends by hitting the video button in an Instagram Direct chat. You can also block people from video calling you. As a group call takes place, more people can join (until you reach the maximum of four participants).
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Instagram has also started rolling two more features that were announced at F8. First, the Explore page will now be organized around several topic channels, based on what you have been interacting with the most. Example categories include: Arts, Style, Food, Animals, Travel, Sports, Beauty, and more.
Instagram is also adding camera effects designed by partners, starting with Ariana Grande, BuzzFeed, Liz Koshy, Baby Ariel and the NBA. Note that you will need to follow these accounts for their camera effects to be available in the Stories camera.
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