Hong Kong based engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong has discovered new features in Instagram currently undergoing testing. She posted screen shots of the app’s settings on Twitter which reveal that Direct Messages and IGTV will soon be getting upgrades.
Send secret messages with Disappearing Mode in Instagram Direct
User will be able to send ‘one time’ visible secret or confidential messages in text conversations by enabling a ‘disappearing mode’ in Instagram Direct. As showing in the posted video, messages sent in disappearing mode will delete automatically after they are read. The interface will switch to dark mode with 🤫emojis dropping down on the screen.
The tweet and the video do not mention how users will enable the disappearing mode but the video does show that users would easily switch between disappear and normal mode in the same text box. This feature looks like yet another Snapchat feature which allows users to exchange pictures, videos or text messages for just one time viewing.
Instagram continues working on “Disappearing Mode” for Direct
It looks a lot more polished now
previously (55 days ago): https://t.co/9bldULE54y pic.twitter.com/pMoRuvnRUJ
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 14, 2020
Add Fundraiser links to Instagram Profile
Wong discovered that individual or organization accounts committed to philanthropy work will have access to ‘Add Fundraiser’ to their Instagram profiles. This new setting would make it easy for others users in the app to identify and send donations to fundraising profiles.
Recently, the social network added donation stickers and donate interface in the app to allow users to do charity work easily. The new profile edit option reflects the company’s desire to continue using its platform for philanthropy purposes.
Instagram is working on “Add Fundraiser” in Edit Profile pic.twitter.com/x5wap1FxVr
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 13, 2020
New Settings for IGTV Creators
To promote itself as a studio and paid partner, Wong discovered two settings that creators will have to enable for paid collaborations with Instagram under an agreement.
- ‘Mark as Paid Content’ in advanced settings for all Instagram internal partnerships.
- ‘Mark as Instagram Funded Content’ setting for content funded by Instagram.
Both ‘marks’ will not be visible to the creators’ audience and are in place to allow the company to track and promote its collaborative partnerships. The ‘Mark as Paid Content’ tag will only be visible to Instagram internal partnerships and ‘Mark as Instagram Funded Content’ tag will only be visible to other partners who have posted Instagram funded projects/content on the platform.
Instagram is working on “Mark as Paid Content” for IGTV creators with “Instagram internal partnerships” pic.twitter.com/bw7JayhhnV
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 8, 2020
Instagram implies to have “funded content deals” with partners for IGTV in this prototype
previously (6 days ago): https://t.co/34U2baDrLS pic.twitter.com/jTbvskstAp
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 14, 2020
With recent updates, it is evident that the social network plans to push IGTV as a credible and versatile platform for creators, as an alternative to YouTube. The company now allows creators to move their live sessions on IGTV , after it redesigned the IGTV app to let users easily search for new content on the platform.
Jane Manchun Wong has an impeccable track record of discovering new features by reverse engineering apps. Using Instagram as an example, she recently discovered features for deleting bulk comments, pin comments, controls for can tag and mention users and other features, days before they were officially released.
Tweeted 213 days before launchhttps://t.co/A6rLsoJLZq pic.twitter.com/7IzirSjnOs
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 12, 2020
