Check out the latest Instagram features for iPhone and Android! New feed, longer reels

Instagram new features: In the last few weeks, Instagram has been testing out new features for both Android and iPhone devices. These developments include much awaited chronological feed, longer reels, 3D avatar for stories, a paid subscription model for creators, profile banners for Instagram Live schedule, Remix videos and profile embeds. There are also some other minor changes in development but for now, we will be focusing on the major changes that are expected to come to the platform this year. Although there are no fixed timelines on when these features will go live, these are expected to roll out soon. So, let us check out the upcoming features on Instagram that you should be excited for.

1. Rearranging Feed

On January 5, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, announced that the company was testing feed changes. He stated that Instagram will be bringing three new feed options. First is Home, which is the current feed view where Instagram suggests posts based on what it thinks a user will be most interested in. Second will be Following, where users will now get a chronological view of all the posts from the accounts they are following. Third is Favourite where users can pick a few accounts whose posts they do not want to miss.

2. 90-second Reels

On February 1, tipster and engineer Alessandro Paluzzi posted on Twitter stating that Instagram is working on extending the reel length to 90 seconds. At present, Instagram only allows reels upto 1 minute. However, TikTok, which was the original inspiration behind reels, allows videos up to 90 seconds, and Instagram might soon follow suit. This new feature has not been officially announced by Instagram.

3. Profile banners for Instagram Live scheduling

In this new upcoming feature, users will be able to add a banner below the profile bio letting their followers know when the next Instagram Live is being scheduled at. This feature was requested by users and on January 26, Mosseri confirmed that this Instagram feature will be added soon.

4. 3D Avatars

Highlighting its ambition to be metaverse-ready, Instagram is introducing 3D Avatar features on its platform. Avatars have been defined by Mosseri as a dynamic visual representation of the user which surpasses profiles. Avatars will also be equipped with a backpack to keep NFTs and any other digital assets. This feature is live right now and users can go to Profile > Menu > Settings > Account > Create your own Avatar to test it out. Avatars can be used in DMs and stories for now.

5. Paid Subscriber mode

Recently, Instagram has started testing out its subscriber mode in the U.S. and soon it will be launched for people around the world. The model is based on Patreon and OnlyFans where users will have to pay a monthly subscription fee to see exclusive content, stories and Live videos.