Instagram testing text-only, screenshot notification features for Stories: Report

Instagram is testing two new features for Stories. The Facebook-owned company could soon allow people to post text-only Stories and notify users when someone takes screenshot of their Stories.

Instagram is testing two new features for Stories, according to TheNextWeb. The Facebook-owned company could soon allow people to post text-only Stories, with the ‘Text’ option now popping up for users in Europe. The report claims that Instagram started testing the text-only feature in Japan in December. Separately, Instagram is testing a new security feature that could notify users when someone takes screenshot of their Stories.

Instagram’s text-only feature seems to be similar to what WhatsApp and Facebook offer for Status. The company will reportedly add a new icon at the bottom of Stories camera, next to Boomerang and Rewind icon, for text status. Upon clicking, Instagram users will be able to choose from several font and background options. The company will open up a plain background or gradient by default. People can even select photos of their choice to use as background, but Instagram will add its own filter colour on top.

To recall, Facebook started rolling out coloured text status feature for Android in December 2016. Do note that it doesn’t work for links, image ,or video posts. Currently, Facebook offers tonnes of background colour options to choose from. Coloured Status for WhatsApp was launched in September last year.

Coming to Instagram’s security feature, it will send a notification to users when someone takes a screenshot of their Story. “That said, it does cut you some slack – it won’t notify users of your first offense, but will do so after your second strike,” the report reads. Notably, Instagram introduced a similar feature in November 2016, which alerts the user when someone takes a screenshot of their Direct Messages (DM).