You can now live stream videos that disappear

folarin okunola

November 22, 2016 11:31 AM

Kevin Weil, Head of Product at Instagram, says the decision to make the live videos ephemeral is so that people can feel at ease on a platform that can be intimidating.

Instagram Live video and disappearing messages

Viewers will be able to add comments and send unlimited hearts. However, unlike most live video iterations, Instagram's is totally ephemeral: once the video ends, it disappears forever, and will no longer be available to be viewed.

That last bit makes the live video feature on Instagram a departure from the type implemented earlier this year by Facebook, its parent company - and also Twitter's Periscope, both of which hosts live videos permanently.

According to The Verge, the Live feature looks a bit different than it did when Pulse Techreported its existence. In the final version, you no longer need to tap a button that says "Go Insta".

Kevin Weil, Head of Product at Instagram, says the decision to make the live videos ephemeral is so that people can feel at ease on a platform that can be intimidating. “You can be comfortable because you know they’re not going to stick around,” he said, according to a The Verge report.

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For her part, Shilpa Sarkar, product manager for the new live feature, said the team sourced inspiration from the way live video has become a way for young people and millennials to spend time together.

“The use case that caught our attention was people just hanging out on live, particularly young people,” she said. “After school, they jump on a live stream and hang out. That use of live [video] is particularly interesting to us.”

When you go live on Instagram, a subset of your follower - those who interact with your photos and videos the most - are notified. Instagram will also be promoting top live broadcasts from people you don't follow.

Instagram's Live video is going to be available to a group of test users today as part of a bigger update that includes a redesign of Instagram Direct that brings Snapchat-style one-to-one messaging to the app.

The Live feature and revamped Instagram direct will be available to users across the globe in the coming weeks.

folarin okunola