Facebook’s Instagram surprised users with a brand new feature. The company added a video sharing option to the platform.
The new feature is quite similar to the mobile app Vine. Users can record, upload and share short video clips. However, Facebook has added something more. Instagram videos are longer than those supported by Vine. Instagram users can share 15-second clips, while those of Vine – only 6-second videos. In addition, the video features on Facebook’s photo platform are similar to those for its photos. Instagramers can filter their videos just like their pictures. Currently, they can choose from 13 different filtering options.
The competition between Twitter and Facebook becomes more intense. Earlier this year, Facebook bought Instagram, which is a widely popular app among Tweeters. After that, Twitter made its interface less Instagram-friendly, reducing the photos on the platform to dull links and introducing its own substitute service. Just when things were starting to cool down, the micro-blogging platform acquired Vine. This is a mobile application for video clip shooting and sharing and it is known as Instagram’s biggest rival.
Although Twitter’s Vine was launched at the beginning of this year, it already enjoys an impressive popularity and a fan base of 13 million people. Even though, this is still ten times less than the amount of Instagram users.
The online social community reacted positively to Instagram’s videos. In only one day, about 45 million videos were uploaded and shared on the platform. That is quite striking given that the service has just been rolled out.
If you are curious to try it out too, but you are not sure how to use and work with Instagram’s video feature, follow these simple steps:
- Open Instagram – Assuming that you have already installed Instagram on your mobile device, tap on its icon to launch it. Hold your device in a vertical position. Otherwise, your video will come out sideways.
- Tap on the video button to record a video – Find the video button and tap it to switch to video mode. Similar to Vine, you can record a full non-edited video or shoot it in small bits and pieces and then edit it. Choose which of these options you prefer more.
- Select a filter, add location and add a short caption – You can filter the video and customize it using the 13 filters of the app. Also, you can add a location to the clip via Foursquare. Last but not least, include a short caption for the video and a hashtag if you want to make it more visible for other Instagram users.
- Upload the video – You are ready to upload your video creation. Be patient since it might take a while, especially if your web connection is slow. Once uploaded, the video will be shared with your followers.
