Instagram Live Makes Its International Debut

In the second half of 2016, Instagram debuted its Stories feature, which allows users to share temporary photos and videos, which then become a slideshow that disappears after 24 hours. Users can also get creative with their stories, adding text, emoji, and drawings. The feature has proven to be popular as Instagram moves away from its reputation as merely a photo-sharing app.

Now, there’s another way to share videos on Instagram, and this one lets you interact with followers in real-time. Instagram Live has rolled out globally and lets you broadcast live video for up to an hour at a time.

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How does it work?

At the top of your feed, where the Stories bar is, you will see an option to add your story. Once you click this and enter the Stories camera, you will see a ‘Start Live Video’ option. Once you choose it, you are broadcasting live and can be seen by your followers (or anyone on Instagram, if your profile is public). If you would rather certain people not view your broadcast, you have the option to hide your Live video from specific users.

Your followers will be able to see that you are recording a live video on the top of their feed, to the left of the Stories. Because of the ephemeral nature of these videos, Instagram will send push notifications to your followers to let them know that you’re live. If, however, they changed their live video notification settings from Instagram’s default settings, they will not receive the alert.

Your followers can then choose to join in and watch your video. You will be able to see who has joined your broadcast, and have the option to allow comments so that your viewers can interact with you. Once you end the video, it will disappear. It won’t be archived or be available for later viewing.

Instagram users can also check out popular live videos taking place at the moment by clicking on the Explore tab at the bottom of their screen, and then choosing ‘Top Live’ on the top left corner.

Instagram Live has been received favorably by users, and influencers and celebrities have been taking advantage of the feature. They have been broadcasting impromptu performances and Q&As, or just letting their fans have a look into their lives — unscripted and unedited. In a community that is often heavily curated and polished, Instagram Live is a refreshing change, and an important step toward making Instagram a space for all sorts of visual media.