Instagram tests an auto-caption sticker for Stories

It might soon be easier to caption Instagram Stories. The social network is testing out a way to add automatic captions to the feature. Social media consultant Matt Navarra shared a video on Twitter of auto-captions in action. It shows a new CC captions option available alongside the other stickers you can add to your stories. When you enable it, the sticker will show a transcription of the audio. It also lets you change the captions' font and style as you would when you type text on your Stories.

As Engadget pointed out, the feature didn't transcribe Navarra's audio completely accurately as it mistook the word "finally" for "find." Errors with automatic transcriptions are inevitable, though. 

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Instagram's Live Rooms allows up to four people at once to go live

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Instagram is launching a new live streaming feature called Live Rooms. It will let four people at once on a live broadcast, which was previously only limited to two. According to the Facebook-owned company, it hopes the feature will encourage users to do things like start a talk show or podcast, collaborate with others, or hold "jam sessions."

Having more people on an Instagram Live can potentially grow its audience as the participants' followers can see if the Live is streaming. But The Verge pointed out that anyone blocked by the active participants won't be able to join the Live Rooms.

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Instagram mimics TikTok with 'Vertical Stories' prototype

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It looks like Instagram is looking to copy another social network. The company confirms it is in the early stages of prototyping Vertical Stories, which will give the app a more TikTok-like look. 

Instagram isn't testing this feature right now, but the code for the change is in development, as spotted by developer Alessandro Paluzzi.

TechCrunch pointed out that if Instagram decides to pursue this idea, then we might see the social network shift away from static content (such as photos or reshared Feed posts on Stories) to make way for videos. It could prioritize videos over photos, too, to better compete with TikTok. 

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Instagram lets you restore recently deleted posts

Source: Instagram

Instagram is launching a new feature to help you gain access to content you deleted. The aptly-named Recently Deleted allows you to review and restore deleted content in the Instagram app. The social network also said it added protections to prevent hackers from compromising your account and deleting posts you've shared.

Now, Instagram will ask you to verify that you're the rightful account holder when permanently deleting or restoring content from the Recently Deleted folder. 

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