From filters to Stories, Instagram has blatantly copied many of Snapchat‘s most popular features over the years.
Now, a report suggests that Instagram’s next Snapchat-inspired feature could be audio notes.
The feature could let users reply to Stories with voice messages – something that’s been possible on Snapchat since 2016.
A report suggests that Instagram could be nabbing Snapchat’s voice notes feature. The feature could let users reply to Stories with voice messages – something that’s been possible on Snapchat since 2016
Respected leaker Alessandro Paluzzi shared a screenshot from Instagram Stories, showing what the feature will look like.
‘Instagram is working on the ability to reply to Stories with voice messages,’ he wrote.
The screenshot indicates that Instagram will add a microphone icon in the text bar for story replies, next to the existing GIF option.
Further details, such as the duration options for the voice notes remains unclear.
MailOnline has contacted Instagram for comment.
Snapchat launched the option to send voice notes back in 2016, as part of its Chat 2.0 update.
‘Today, we’re excited to introduce Chat 2.0,’ Snapchat wrote in a blog at the time.
‘You can start by sending a few chats, and when your friend shows up, start talking or video chatting instantly with one tap.
‘Your friend can simply listen if you want to sing them a song or watch if you have a new puppy to show them.
‘If they aren’t there, you can quickly send an audio note to say what you mean.’
Instagram has been scrambling to emulate the success of Snapchat for years, with a number of very similar features including Stories and Screenshots
Instagram’s owner Meta (formerly known as Facebook) has been scrambling to emulate the success of Snapchat for years, with a number of distinctly similar features, including Stories and Screenshots.
Most recently, Instagram copied Snapchat with the launch of a feature called ‘Rage Shake’.
Users just need to shake their phone with the Instagram app open and a little pop-up appears that lets them report an annoying technical issue.
It’s very similar to Snapchat’s ‘Shake to Report’, which already lets users shake their smartphone to report a bug.
HOW HAVE FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM COPIED SNAPCHAT OVER THE YEARS?
March 2016 – Filters
One of the first signs Facebook was copying Snapchat was in March 2016 when it bought MSQRD, an app that overlays silly live filters to your selfies.
The app lets users apply filters to their faces – similar to Snapchat ‘Lens’ filters.
One of the first signs Facebook was copying Snapchat was in March 2016 when it bought MSQRD, an app that overlays silly live filters to your selfies. The app lets users apply filters to their faces (pictured right) – similar to Snapchat ‘Lens’ filters (pictured left)
April 2016 – QR codes
In April of last year, Facebook added QR codes to profiles in Messenger.
Snapchat uses QR codes to allow people to add other users without having to search.
December 2016 – Location-based filters and in-app camera
Facebook introduced custom location-based camera filters that overlay pictures and videos – similar to Snapchat’s ‘geo-filters’.
Users build ‘frames’ on any design platform, submit them to Facebook and then friends nearby will have access to the creations.
In the same month, a ‘Messenger Camera’ was designed to make it quicker to capture and share photos and videos without having to dip out of a conversations – a feature that already existed on Snapchat.
In December, Facebook introduced custom location-based camera filters (pictured right) that overlay pictures and videos – similar to Snapchat’s ‘geo-filters’ (pictured left)
March 2017 – Stories
In March, Facebook introduced Facebook Stories along with two other new Snapchat-like features – Facebook Camera and Direct.
Facebook Stories highlights decorative content in a horizontal layout over News Feed that disappears in 24 hours – just like Snapchat Stories.
Facebook Stories (pictured right) highlights decorative content in a horizontal layout over News Feed that disappears in 24 hours – just like Snapchat Stories (pictured left)
The section in the app called ‘Direct’ appears to be very similar to Snapchat’s feed for one-to-one group messaging.
The update encourages users to use Facebook’s camera feature and also lets them put friends’ stories at the top of their News Feed.
In the same month it also introduced ‘Messenger Day’, which lets user share photos and videos with illustrated filters and stickers that vanish in 24 hours – just like Snapchat Stories.
November 2017 – Streaks
In November, Facebook copied Snapchat by testing a new feature that encourages friends to send messages back and forth for consecutive days.
Like ‘Snapstreaks’ on Snapchat, Facebook Messenger ‘Streaks’ have emoji next to the name of anyone who users are regularly messaging.
According to Facebook, this will encourage users to ‘keep your streak going’.
In March, Facebook introduced ‘Messenger Day’, which lets user share photos and videos with illustrated filters and stickers that vanish in 24 hours – just like Snapchat Stories
January 2018 – Screenshots
In January, Instagram, the Facebook-owned app, began testing a feature that lets your followers know if you’ve taken a sneaky screenshot of their Story.
The Snapchat-inspired feature is expected to launch on the picture-sharing platform soon and is currently being trialled in Japan.
May 2018 – Bitmoji
As with Filters, Snaps, and Stories, Facebook revealed it is duplicating the Bitmoji feature used on Snapchat.
Within the code of Facebook’s Android app, developers have found an unreleased functionality that lets users ‘build personalized, illustrated versions of themselves for use as stickers in Messenger and comments.’
November 2021 – Rage Shake
Instagram copied Snapchat with the launch of a feature called ‘Rage Shake’.
Users just need to shake their phone with the Instagram app open and a little pop-up appears that lets them report an annoying technical issue.
It’s very similar to Snapchat’s ‘Shake to Report’, which already lets users shake their smartphone to report a bug.
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