Stream live video via… Instagram

a 49 Instagram, Social Media
a 562 Instagram, Social Media

A new feature on Instagram appeared to users on Tuesday in Greece, giving the opportunity to upload live streaming videos, while it is soon expected to be available in Cyprus.

When the service introduced the Stories feature in August, many people pointed out the similarities with Snapchat. For this latest upgrade, the app seems to have borrowed ideas from both Facebook and Twitter.

The Live Video feature in Stories is, according to Instagram, "a new way for users to connect and interact with their friends in real time."

However, unlike Facebook, the videos will not be saved and will not be able to be shared on the platform once they are finished. Instead, once the video is complete, the Live Video will disappear, much like Stories, which "self-destructs" after 24 hours.

Instagram Direct will also be upgraded. Users will now be able to share Instagram Stories as instant messages with their friends, whether it is their own story or someone else's. At least 300 million people use this feature every month.

The latest Instagram upgrades will initially be available to users in the UK, Germany, France, Brazil, Canada and Japan.