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Overview:

* After many requests from the community, Instagram’s new feature will allow live streams with up to four people. The change aims to help micro-entrepreneurs earn more and to integrate better with other tools available in the app.

* The feature works simply: access the live camera option on your smartphone, invite up to three friends, and wait for them to accept.

* Beyond Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are also improving their apps, especially after the rise of Clubhouse. To stay competitive, companies need to invest in app development; see how you can have yours.

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Instagram is another social network adding new features for its users. To increase the number of live streams on the platform, the app should receive in the coming days a feature called “Live Rooms.”

The feature has long been requested by the community and expands the capacity of traditional Instagram Lives. Now, the social network allows up to four users to connect simultaneously during a video live stream.

Previously, Instagram only allowed two users to participate in a live stream, which limited more produced shows and even bands.

With that, the platform expects it will be easier for content creators to earn more—especially due to the social distancing caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, the tool makes it easier for users to access the Shopping feature available in the app.

That way, it becomes possible to integrate your online store into a live stream through a CTA (Call to Action) button, where with a simple click the user can access your store products.

For the coming months, Facebook also says it is developing new features such as additional audio options and some tools for moderators.

Do you have questions about the app development process? Access our e-book—it’s free!

How should the new feature work?

According to the platform announcement, to start a live room you just need to access the live camera feature, add a title for the broadcast, and click the “Rooms” icon.

If the feature is already available on your device, simply invite users to the call and wait for them to accept.

Users will be notified of your request and can decide whether they want to participate in the live stream.

Instagram also says that, for greater security, users previously blocked by any of the participants active in the live stream cannot be invited into the room.

Adding new features to apps aims to attract new audiences

Even though it’s a new feature, Instagram isn’t the only social network bringing new tools to users.

With prolonged social distancing and the pandemic, new tools have emerged on the web in recent months to attract new audiences and even retain long-time users.

The biggest example right now is the rise of Clubhouse.

Offering social networking features never seen before, the platform reached a large number of users in record time.

The audio-based social network allows users to talk by voice with famous people, celebrities, politicians, and prominent figures from corporate environments in public or private rooms, offering greater intimacy among participants.

In addition, the network became a major gateway to information through talks, webinars, and other types of conferences in sectors such as technology, marketing, and many others.

Because of Clubhouse’s success, Twitter announced “Twitter Spaces.”

Still in testing, the feature is practically identical to what the new audio social network offers and gives users the opportunity to create conversation rooms without needing to leave the app and open another one (like Clubhouse).

Another brand that might be developing something similar is Facebook. According to The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg’s company reportedly asked its developers for a prototype app similar to Clubhouse.

As technology evolves, every new idea becomes an opportunity for rival companies to present a competing app with new features—especially to fix gaps found in the app that served as the baseline model.

What do you think about having an app that looks like your company?

Because of the high competitiveness in the app market, it’s important for your company to stay aligned with technological news and outperform competitors—both on Google Play and in the App Store.

One way to increase profits is by developing an app or a web system that matches your company’s needs and identity.

X-Apps specializes in this type of technology, and one of our biggest success cases is the Polishop app.

With more than 700 products in its portfolio and many users looking for quality and high-performance products, the company wanted to find solutions that make its customers’ lives easier.

That’s why Polishop, one of Brazil’s largest retail brands, identified that its e-commerce app needed improvements and a new interface—enriching the customer experience with the brand.

From experience design to high-quality app development, clear communication and the use of high-quality images were crucial to impact users of Polishop’s new app.

As a result, we achieved a highly expressive outcome:

We increased the app rating from 2.3 to 4.6 stars!

So, what do you think about building an app with us?

Request a quote from X-Apps.

In addition to evaluating your app costs, we can provide strategic consulting and assess the most interesting alternatives for your company in terms of quality and cost-benefit.

Learn more:

- Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): what are they and why use them in your company?

- How much does it cost to build an app for your startup?

- App flaw leaves 120 million users exposed on the web