Instagram has rolled out video chat, new camera effects and topic channels on Explore for its Android and iOS apps. These
features were originally announced at Facebook’s F8 conference last month. And it comes on the heels of
Instagram's introduction of IGTV and the 1 billion monthly active user milestone.Instagram has added video chat through the Instagram Direct messaging service. You can set up a video chat with an individual or a group by swiping into the Direct inbox and opening a message thread. Then tap the new camera icon at the top right.
During a group chat session, you can minimize the video chat window to multitask on Instagram. So you can still chat while you browse the feed, “like” photos, send messages in Direct and post stories.
The group video chat supports up to four people at a time. And the video will expand as more friends join the conversation.
Once a video chat goes active in a group thread, the camera icon turns blue. To join an active conversation, simply tap on the blue camera icon. Once you are done chatting, tap on the red phone icon at the bottom.
Blocking users will prevent them from being able to video chat with you. Plus you can mute users if you do not want to receive notifications from them. And you can also control video chat notifications by tapping on the gear icon on your profile and scrolling to the new video chat control in Push Notifications.
