The new Instagram channels inspired by those of Telegram will allow creators to spread news with their community of followers.
Instagram is preparing to add a new feature to its platform, and this time, it’s not looking to emulate its eternal rival TikTok , but rather the platform that competes with its sister app: Telegram . Meta – parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – is developing its own version of Telegram channels with broadcast channels for its photography-focused app.
As Mark Zuckerberg ‘s company revealed through official media last Thursday, this new format is now available to a selected group of users and, for the moment, it only works on the mobile version of the platform. If a user uses Instagram in their web browser, they still won’t be able to experiment with this feature even if they joined a channel from their mobile.
Today Mark Zuckerberg announced broadcast channels 📣 on @instagram!
Creators can use broadcast channels to share their latest updates with followers using text 🖊 photos 📸 videos 🎥 voice notes 🎤 polls 📊 and more.https://t.co/jWX7WoGBDi pic.twitter.com/E6DIlcHUPX
— Meta Newsroom (@MetaNewsroom) February 16, 2023
Instagram presents its version of Telegram channels
With this new option, content creators on Instagram can broadcast messages and updates to a wide audience of followers who choose to follow the channel. Followers won’t be able to post messages, comments, or media to channels, but they will have the chance to react to posts with emojis and vote in polls.
While broadcast channels are already present on Instagram, they are being tested with a select group of content creators at the moment. These include snowboarder Chloe Kim and streamer Valkyrae , both of whom have already created their own channels over the course of Thursday. Meta has a waiting list for the feature, but The Verge portal mentions that it is already full.
Meta already has its own broadcast channel on Instagram called “Meta Channel 📢” and, from what it described, it will be the means by which it will share ” news and updates about all the products and technology” it is developing. The firm pointed out that All your news will be reported first by this channel.
How do I access Instagram channels?
If you get access to the new Instagram feature , the user can create a channel from their inbox, and then they can pin their respective channel link on their profile to make it easy for other people to join. Channels can be open to all followers of a profile, but can also be configured to make them exclusive to paid subscribers.
These new broadcast channels are shaping up to be a very useful tool for creators to share updates or news with their communities. Due to the general uncertainty about what is happening on a social network like Twitter , having a new, easily accessible text-based avenue for audiences on Instagram is a great alternative for these internet celebrities.