Instagram Launches A New Co-Watching Feature So Your Chat Is Not Old School

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - In the midst of the global pandemic COVID-19 or the corona virus, social media networks are currently flocking to update their platform features to maintain the comfort of their users. One of them is Instagram, which has just launched the Co-Watching feature.

Launching Tech Crunch, Wednesday, March 25, this new feature allows friends who video chat (even group chats) to browse a post that has been liked or saved. It even allows video call participants to see other people's Instagram recommendations.

With the Co-Watching feature, Instagram users will still have chat topics with friends and family and can forget about the COVID-19 outbreak for a moment, in order to reduce excess worry, but do not escape being careful.

Then how does this feature work? Using the Co-Watching feature is very simple, users only need to open Instagram Direct (the platform's direct messaging feature) by tapping the paper airplane icon in the top right corner of the app. Then start a new video chat by searching or selecting friends or family in the inbox and then tapping the video camera icon on this direct message page. Once the user has started chatting, simply tap the photo icon at the bottom of the panel to see all the liked, saved, and Instagram recommendations available on the Feeds. Keep in mind, what is selected will appear on the screen for all participants in the video chat.

In the coming days, we'll roll out a new feature that connects people with accurate information when they search for COVID-19 related terms. pic.twitter.com/vKmmPMKLmK

- Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) March 24, 2020

However, Co-Watching is not the only new update rolled out to all Instagram users, it has also highlighted more valid information about COVID-19 in the search tab. Meanwhile, Instagram is also starting to increase its efforts in removing invalid COVID-19 content and information, unless it comes from an official source.

Not only that, in order to make people aware of caring for others in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, Instagram has also expanded the Donation sticker to more countries so that users can seek and ask for contributions to genuine and relevant non-profit organizations.

To help connect users who are doing social distancing, the Stories feature that is shared will display a 'Stay at Home' sticker in all posts, but this stker can only be enjoyed in some countries.

It's easy to see how the new Co-Watching feature will become popular in the coming days, and these efforts add to the COVID-19 prevention initiative on Instagram's social media that started about two weeks ago. As the platform started listing posts from trustworthy health organizations at the top of the tab search.