You can now turn off audio and video on Instagram Live

Instagram Live is getting new features that make it somewhat close to Clubhouse. Instagram users will now be able to turn off their video or audio during live videos. These features aren’t an exact copy of Clubhouse but it comes amid Facebook introducing new audio chat products. Facebook is working on a bunch of products including virtual rooms, and a “soundbites” feature that will let users post short audio snippets to their feed.

The new features for Instagram Live are rolling out globally to all users on Android and iOS. Instagram added these features so that it reduces the pressure one might have while speaking live on Instagram to audiences, according to a report by TechCrunch. Doing so would make the product more similar to audio chat rooms. Muting the audio during Instagram Live serves another purpose of the one speaking to sound clearer to the audience and the other members.

Instagram users will see the option to mute their audio and video at the bottom of their screen. Users can tap on the microphone button to mute the audio, and the video camera button to turn off their video. Once their video is turned off, the video box will show the user’s display picture. Hosts will not be able to turn off the audio or video of other participants in the live video. But Instagram is working on bringing this feature soon, the report added.

Instagram lets users host live videos with up to four members, a feature it introduced last month. This feature was first rolled out in India in December last year, and launched globally as ‘Live Rooms’ last month.