Instagram takes another page from Snapchat with Event Channels

The latest update is being viewed as yet another copy of a Snapchat feature after the rollout of Instagram‘s “Stories” format that clones Snapchat’s popular Stories feature.

“Actually, it’s pretty interesting that such a controversial new feature from Instagram had little to no impact on activity”, the spokesperson added, chalking up the initial results to the fact that many of Instagram’s users also use Snapchat.

Now, while recording a video for Instagram “Stories”, you can zoom in by dragging your finger up from the shutter button. You can download Instagram from the App Store for free.

Instagram has updated its Stories feature with ability to zoom while recording videos.

Instagram “Stories” receives its first significant update. “This is exactly how zooming works on Snapchat”, tech website Mashable.com reported on Tuesday. Follow your friends and family to see what they’re up to, and discover accounts from all over the world that are sharing things you love.

However, you won’t be able to see live video of news events, like on Twitter’s Periscope app or Facebook’s Live feature. That means users can swap from the front-facing selfie camera to the back camera, shooting both themselves and something else of interest in the same clip.

While Instagram’s traditional posts remain for the big moments, the Stories feature is designed for a more casual sharing, which is one of Snapchat’s defining traits. They do note, however, that there have been plenty of bug fixes and improvements made to the Stories feature, boasting that it will now operate faster and function better overall.