Is Instagram Stories Like Snapchat Stories?

This morning Instagram released a new feature in its app calling "Instagram Stories" that looks sort of familiar. It's so familiar that it has gotten many people wondering if Instagram Stories like Snapchat Stories. At first glance it certainly looks as though the two features are very similar. Obviously, there will be some key differences, but seasoned Snapchat users will be surprised at just how easy it will be to get used to this new aspect of Instagram.

The preliminary function of Instagram stories is just like the one we are already used to on Snapchat. Snap a picture, add some creative text or sticker and share with everyone that follows you. The stream that's created can only be seen by those who follow you and is only up for a limited amount of time. A timeline of all Instagram stories will appear on top of your photo feed, and you can choose to watch the whole story or move on to the next one. It's simple, easy to use and looks to be a lot of fun.

Unlike Snapchat, Instagram will let you know when something new has been added to someone's story by displaying a colorful ring around their icons instead of letting you refresh the story page. According to the app:

To view someone’s story, just tap on their profile photo. It’s easy to view stories at your own pace: tap to go back and forward or swipe to jump to another person’s story. If you want to comment on something you see, you can tap and send a private message to that person on Instagram Direct.

This all seems fun and easy. I'm excited to try it our for myself when I get the option. Watch the Instagram video about this new feature below.

You can choose who gets to see your stories because Instagram stories follow you privacy settings. You can let anyone watch it or just the folks who are your friends. You can also control specific people from seeing your videos even if they are following you. Since privacy in social media is important, I personally always appreciate these types of updates.

One of the things I really like about this new feature is how it really encourages people to use Instagram more, and not live in mortal fear of ~overposting~. We all know that posting too much can cause people to unfollow your account or frustrate them. This new feature allows you to post as much as you want, and gives other people the choice to look at your photos or not.

If you haven't gotten the feature yet, it's rolling out globally starting on August 2, so stay tuned! You'll have the update soon.

Images: Giphy (1); Goodboy Picture Company/E+/Getty Images