Instagram Stories Get WhatsApp Cross-Posting In New Test

Instagram is experimenting with a new feature that allows its customers to cross-post Instagram Stories directly to WhatsApp, a feature that builds upon the Facebook cross-posting it officially launched in late 2017. Only some Instagram users are spotting this feature at this time, and they all appear to be in Brazil. When the feature may roll out more extensively is unclear.

As far as Facebook goes, Instagram Stories is its most popular 'stories' feature, eclipsing the Facebook Stories alternative though both are similar. Facebook somewhat addressed that by making it possible to cross-post Instragram Stories to Facebook Stories, though how many users are taking advantage of that ability isn't clear.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook is now experimenting with another expansion of story cross-posting ability, this time focusing on WhatsApp. This test involves an option to cross-post Instagram Stories to WhatsApp as a WhatsApp Status, which is itself a Snapchat-like feature launched in the relatively recent past.

WhatsApp Status is a feature where users can post content for contacts to view during a 24-hour period, after which point it disappears. Someone creating an Instagram Story who happens to use WhatsApp can make sure their contacts on both apps see their Stories with this cross-posting feature.

Instagram has confirmed the feature in a statement to TechCrunch, but only saying it is a test to "improve the experience on Instagram." How long the feature has been in testing and how extensively it is available isn't clear. As with any feature, it is possible Instagram won't make it available; that seems unlikely, though, considering the cross-posting work Facebook has already completed.

SOURCE: TechCrunch