Instagram adds three new features in time for Christmas

Instagram keeps on adding new features – such as the ability to post a 60-second video as a Story, and the planned content creators subscription service that is coming up soon. Now, just in time for the holiday season, the Facebook-owned company is adding three new features to the basket – Playback, Reel Visual Replies, and Profile Embed.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared the news on his Twitter account, along with a cool short video to explain the new features in more detail. The new features are rolling up as we type, so be sure to check for updates and update your Instagram app when the new version hits your region.

Now, back to the new features. The first one is called Playback and it’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s a way to relive old memories in form of Instagram stories. You must have at least three of those posted in order for Instagram to suggest you this feature, and it could contain up to 10 stories in total. The Playback feature will probably vanish after 2022 rolls in but Instagram could bring it back again next year.

Next in line is Reel Visual Replies – this feature allows creators to take a comment and feature it in a 60-second Reel. In practice, this feature should increase engagement, and give creators a new tool to answer questions, and create more content. The Reels Visual Replies option can be found near the comment reply icon.

The last new feature is called Profile Embed, and it’s the ability to embed an entire profile everywhere, thus offering a snapshot to their Instagram universe. While the first two features are already rolling out globally, this one is US-only.