What you need to know
- Facebook is expanding Instagram Live to let users stream with more people at once.
- Instagram Live can now show up to four people on a stream.
- Facebook envisions more use-cases for creators to collaborate with more people at a time.
Instagram has grown to become arguably one of the best messaging apps on Android, with plenty of features for users to interact with each other. Instagram Live is a great way to connect with people you follow, giving you a mostly one-sided view of someone's life. Users can even go live with a friend to make streams more interesting for followers. The ability to collaborate must be a popular one because Facebook announced in a blog post that it's giving users the chance to "double-up" with the ability to have four-way Instagram Live chats.
The new feature is dubbed Live Rooms, and is more or less like Instagram Live but with more people. It may not be as robust as the 12 people that Google Duo allows on a call, but this feature is more aimed at creators for publicly viewable chats. Facebook hopes that users will find creative new ways to interact with their followers, which could even lead to some monetization opportunities:
We hope that doubling up on Live will open up more creative opportunities — start a talk show, host a jam session or co-create with other artists, host more engaging Q&As or tutorials with your following, or just hang out with more of your friends.
Facebook states that users have the flexibility to add one or two people to the stream, then add additional people later as "surprise guests" if they so choose. The company highlights the badges feature that it launched last year as a way for creators to encourage more engagement with followers. Those who purchase badges during a live chat will stand out in comments and have access to more features and perks.
No release was indicated for Instagram Live Rooms, but the company says the feature will roll out globally soon.
