Instagram Audio, Video Calling Features Might Launch Very Soon

Instagram is currently rumored to be adding video and audio calling feature for its Android and iOS apps. Now more evidence has been discovered that Instagram may be planning to launch these new calling features to all of its users soon.

Icons for “Call” and “Video Call” were discovered by TechCrunch within the Instagram and Instagram Direct standalone app Application Packages (APKs). APKs typically contain files for unreleased features that are hidden inside an app. These hidden features are usually just waiting to be activated or launched by the company. With that in mind, the presence of these files in the public versions of Instagram and Direct APKs suggest that the company may already preparing to launch these features soon.

Rumors of audio and video calling features for Instagram first popped up back in January when an image of a video call button was spotted by WAbetaInfo. The feature was allegedly in testing within the company and wasn’t available to a wider range of users.

At the time, Instagram said that it won’t comment on rumors and speculation. TechCrunch reached out once again to the company and received this response from a spokesperson: “I’m afraid we can’t comment on this one.”

So when is video and audio calling launching for Instagram? There’s no definite answer for that question. When the Giphy GIF feature for Instagram Stories was first discovered to be in the works, the company didn’t comment on it. A few days after, Instagram rolled out GIF support for Instagram Stories for all Android and iOS users. If the company follows the same trend, audio and video calling may arrive to Instagram as soon as next week, but that’s just speculation at this point.

If Instagram does decide to add audio and video calling to its app, it could become a far more appealing chat app than Snapchat. Instagram has already copied Snapchat’s ephemeral Story format and is already more popular among users. Instagram Stories has 250 million daily active users.

Despite Instagram Stories being more popular, Snapchat still has the lead as a chat platform, as pointed out by 9To5Google. Leaked data indicated that chat is still the most popular feature on Snapchat. It makes complete sense that Instagram would bring in audio and video calling to bolster its Direct messaging feature in hopes of possibly overtaking Snapchat as a chat platform.