On Nov. 21, Instagram released an update that includes live Instagram Story videos similar to Facebook Live and Periscope. Naturally, Instagram users are wondering: can you see who viewed your Instagram Live story? While you can see the list of who has seen your Instagram Story at the bottom of photos and videos, some live platforms — Facebook Live, for instance — allow you to see how many users there are watching your content, but do not allow you to see which users they are in particular.
Bustle reached out to Instagram for confirmation of whether or not users can see who has viewed the content on their live video, and they confirmed that while users will be able to see who is commenting and reacting to the Live Story while it's being aired, as well as see when each individual has "Joined" it. Once the content disappears, so do all comments and reactions to it, as well as the list of people who viewed the video.
Users can control who has access to their Instagram Story and their Instagram Live by tapping the gear in the top left corner of the camera function and individually selecting users they don't want to have access to them.
In the meantime, if you're curious about how Instagram Live works, it's as simple to go Live as it is to update your Story. You can swipe right on the Instagram app to open the camera, where you will see options for "NORMAL," "BOOMERANG," and now "LIVE". Once you tap the "LIVE" function, you will start directly airing on your Instagram Story. Select users may receive a notification when you go Live, and when your followers are scrolling through Instagram Stories, yours will say "LIVE" under it to indicate that you are streaming.
Additionally, users can head to the Explore tab to check on currently trending live videos by tapping "Top Live". It's important to note, though, that once a Live Story has aired, it will disappear from Instagram — so make sure to tune in while you can!
Instagram Live should be rolling out globally on Nov. 21. If you're not seeing it yet, make sure to head to the App Store to make sure you're running on the latest update of the app. It should be noted that brand new accounts may take a little while to acquire Live Story abilities.
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