Instagram App Update Will Let Users Invite Guests To Join Live Broadcasts

Instagram has announced that an update to its app will soon be on its way to allow users to invite their friends to join live broadcasts. The new feature is currently being tested and will be available to users worldwide “over the next few months.”

“Starting today, we’re testing a fun way to go live with a friend. Now, you can hang out and go live together, whether you’re just doing homework or catching up on your day,” Instagram said on its website. “Live video helps you share in an authentic way, but sometimes it can be intimidating when you’re on your own. It’s easy to add a guest while you’re broadcasting.”

The new feature is currently only available to a “small percentage” of Instagram users. This is still in its testing phase and Instagram may simply be trying to work out some of the feature’s issues.

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For those lucky enough to be part of the testing phase, adding a guest on Instagram Live is quite simple. First, users must start an Instagram Live broadcast. To add a guest, users will have to tap on the new “Add” icon on the bottom right-hand corner. This new icon sits between the comment text box and the camera switcher.

Tapping the “Add” icon will bring up the list of friends who are currently watching the the user’s Instagram Live broadcast. Users will select one person to invite as a guest on their Instagram Live broadcast then tap “Add” on the bottom of the screen.

Once a friend has accepted the Instagram Live guest invite, the live broadcast’s screen will then split into two. The user's live stream will be on top, while their guest will be shown underneath.

Instagram Live’s new feature only works for one guest at a time. If a user wants to invite another person to join them on their live broadcast, they can simply remove their current guest and invite a new one. Guests can also exit an Instagram Live broadcast on their own.

Like with solo Instagram Live, broadcasts with a guest can also be shared as an Instagram Story. Users can also Discard their live video, and it will be removed from the app.

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Instagram first introduced Live videos on its iOS and Android app back in November 2016, and this new feature appears to show the company’s commitment in improving and refining its functionality.

The new Instagram Live feature was actually nicknamed project Tango, which is a reference to the phrase “it takes two to tango.” The feature has been under development over the past couple of months.

“After we launched the first version of Live [last November], we noticed that a lot of folks were using it with friends in person,” Instagram product manager on the Live team Shilpa Sarkar told Refinery29. “We wanted to bring that offline behavior online, so to speak, with a feature that allows you to be live with a friend even if you aren't in the exact same space.”