Instagram has taken to its blog overnight to announce that it is bringing face filters and more to the service, as it looks to take on Snapchat.
Face filters, as the name suggests, gives you the opportunity to place goofy headwear, animal noses, glasses and more. Basically its the stuff you know and love from Snapchat which can now be added to your flawless selfies on Instagram.
Kevin Weil, Instagram’s product head, has explained at TechCrunch Disrupt’s event that Instagram’s face filters are different to what Snapchat currently offers.
.@kevinweil explains how @Instagram face filters are different than Snapchat selfie lenses #TCDisrupt pic.twitter.com/2n0RDmWA0I
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) May 16, 2017
“You’ll see as you use them, there’s a level of craft and detail with each one of the eight face filters that I think is unique,” Weil stated. An example that was given by Weil was the koala ears filter and how they twitch like a real bear’s ears naturally do. Basically Instagram is arguing that its filters are more realistic and life like in nature to what is currently offered through Snapchat’s filters.
Weil also explained at the event that Instagram is testing location-based Stories, which will enable you to to tap on any of those location-specific stickers to see a slideshow of Story content from other users – even if you follow them or not. The stories option is only limited to that specific location only.
Face filters isn’t the only thing Instagram is bringing us, they are also added the ability to play videos backwards with the camera. The new “Rewind” option that sits right beside Boomerang in the camera window that will play whatever footage you capture in reverse. There is also new hastag stickers which you can customise yourself with whatever subject or saying you want to say basically.
Lastly, there is now an eraser brush tool which will enable you to scribble away letters from a solid colour to reveal your photo underneath. With so much that Instagram has packed into this update, its fair to say these features might be worth trying them out. You can download Instgram via the link below.
