At this point, word of yet another Instagram update might have you rolling your eyes. After all, the past week alone was packed with two major launches: the premiere of live video and a tool to save posts.
But while we don't blame you for feeling Instagram update fatigue, today's is one that you do not want to blow off. Instagram is rolling out its biggest creative update to Stories since it launched the Snapchat-like product this summer. Some of these are, predictably, holiday themed, but almost all have potential to continue long after the presents have been unwrapped and the tree has been taken down.
From a new way to record video, to the addition of location tags, Stories is primed to hit a new high in 2017. If you haven't already gotten on the Instagram Stories train, you're going to want to now. And for all the Snapchat devotees, these updates might be enough to sway you. Ahead, all the new creative tools that will start rolling out today. Click through, then read this to check out what else you might be missing.
Sticker Your Story
Instagram Stories is going sticker-crazy. To access the new stickers, press the smiley face that will now appear alongside the pen and text tools in the upper right corner.
Photo: Courtesy Instagram.
Post With Holiday Cheer
In addition to contextual stickers that let you show your location, the weather, and time (much in the same way that Snapchat's geofilters do), you'll see special themed options. Of course, right now, these are primarily holiday themed. Going to an ugly Christmas sweater party? Yep, there's a sticker for that.
Photo: Courtesy Instagram.
Play Tag
While the location tags in Instagram Stories aren't nearly as creative or artistic as the geofilters within Snapchat, they at least allow others to know where you're posting from, which can be useful. When you tap the location sticker, you'll be presented with options in much the same way you are when you tag your location in an Instagram post.
Photo: Courtesy Instagram.
Go For A Sugar High
Tap the drawing tools and you'll see a festive new candy cane option for adding peppermint ribbons to your snowy scenes. Buddy the Elf would approve of this one. After all, candy canes are one of the four main food groups.
Photo: Courtesy Instagram.
Text On
Take your eyes off of these adorable dogs for just a moment and you'll notice that there's more text on the screen than before. Today's update includes a way to add more than one text field within photos or videos. You can also adjust the alignment for each, making it so that, in this case, each pup can send its own special greeting. Okay, you can go back to looking at those eyes, now.
Photo: Courtesy Instagram.
Look Ma, No Hands!
Anyone trying to record video on Instagram Stories is going to love the new hands-free tool. Scroll past the "Boomerang" option on your camera screen and you'll see "Hands-Free" mode. You can just tap to start recording, instead of having to press and hold. Dear Mariah, please use this to sing us a holiday song.
Photo: Courtesy Instagram.
Save For Later
Don't want to lose your story? Now you don't have to. Just as Snapchat did earlier this year with Memories, Instagram Stories is unrolling a new way to save your entire story from the previous 24 hours. Tap the download icon to preserve the good times.
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