Today Instagram will be announcing a series of forthcoming updates, including a new and improved camera, shopping tags for creators, and fundraising for charity. There will also be a new Create Mode, aimed at making it easier to share content without a photo or video. Instagram’s photo-sharing app is now used by more than 1 billion people every month, as a kind of Facebook replacement.
The first new feature, announced today at Facebook’s F8 developer conference, is a redesigned camera with what Instagram is calling Create Mode. Instagram’s revamped camera will provide users with a more convenient means of creating a photo or video from scratch. Create Mode is designed to make it easier to use effects and interactive stickers without having to upload an existing photo or video.
Secondly, you will be soon able to shop specific items featured in posts, meaning you won’t have to leave the app to make a purchase. Simply tap on the item to see what the given creator is wearing, and then you can cop it instantly. All users will be able to shop from creators, albeit Instagram will only be giving a select number of influencers the ability to integrate shoppable items.
In addition to creator-focused features, Instagram is also launching a donation sticker for Stories to let people raise money for nonprofits from within the app. Instagram says 100 percent of the funds raised will go toward the nonprofit of your choice.
These features may roll out soon, or they may never make it into the app, Mosseri said.
The Instagram updates were announced alongside a bevy of other updates from Facebook, including a complete redesign of the main Facebook and Messenger apps, as well as new privacy-focused features like encryption and interoperability