Instagram is likely preparing to add a live video feature to its app.
Footage published on a Russian publication on Friday appears to show off a new live video feature on Instagram.
In images discovered by a Russian Instagram user and published by T Journal, the first icon in the app's Stories section has a badge that says "live" on it. Additional images show the Stories interface with a new "Go Insta" button that appears to be used to start a live broadcast.
An Instagram spokesperson declined to comment on the images, but it appears to be a reality, as T Journal also published a video of the new feature.
It's unclear exactly how this might work, but a translated version of the T Journal site says that tapping the "live" icon brought the user to a separate section called "popular live broadcasts," which they were unable to access.
While it's hard to say for sure whether this is a random experiment or a silent test of an upcoming feature (Facebook and Instagram are known for testing major new features in countries outside the US), the company's reluctance to comment on the screenshots seems to suggest that a larger plan is in the works.
If Instagram is going to invest in live video for its app, then it's no surprise that it would choose Stories as the place to implement it. The app has been steadily updating Stories since its launch, and earlier this week, it announced that it would be adding Stories to its Explore section in an effort to push more people into the feature.
