Instagram brings Watch Together, Chat Theme; explains how Vanish Mode will work

With ‘Watch Together’ feature, you can tune into IGTV, Reels and TV shows, movies and trending videos in real-time over video chat.

Representational image. (Unsplash)

Instagram has rolled out a few updates to its platform that are also a part of the new “messaging experience on Instagram.” This includes Watch Together, chat themes and the Vanish Mode, which was introduced in Messenger a few days ago. With ‘Watch Together' feature, you can tune into IGTV, Reels and TV shows, movies and trending videos in real-time over video chat.

“In an Instagram video chat, tap the media button in the bottom right and select the ‘TV & Movies' tab. In a Messenger video chat, swipe up to access the menu, select Watch Together then select the ‘TV & Movies' tab,” states the blog post.

Watch Together. (Instagram)

Watch Together. (Instagram)

Using Chat Themes, you can change the way messaging appears on the screen. BTS fans can get the special TinyTAN theme, which includes a bunch of character created by the boy band. “Express your affection with [Purple heart] emojis, share your favorite songs from the new album, or customize your message reactions for your perfect TinyTAN-themed chat.” It is possible to activate the theme on Instagram and Messenger from your chat settings.

TinyTan chat theme. (Instagram)

TinyTan chat theme. (Instagram)

Finally, the update brings the ‘Vanish Mode' to Instagram. It has not rolled out yet though and a particular time frame has also not been given. Using this, you can make a message disappear after a set time or when you leave the chat thread.

“Sometimes a message is spontaneous – something you want to share in the moment without worrying about it sticking around. Now you can send memes, GIFs or reactions to share what you really think but can't always say, without it staying in your chat history,” states the post.

Vanish Mode (Instagram)

Vanish Mode (Instagram)

It is worth adding that only people who are following each other on Instagram or who are connected on Messenger can use vanish mode in one-on-one chats. The feature is also optional.