- Instagram is introducing a feature to fill blank bars in vertically shot or small photos with the help of Meta AI.
- The feature is currently rolling out for the U.S. users, and we do not have a detail on when it will be available internationally.
- Instagram head, Adam Mosseri also talked about a Snap Map like feature coming to the app.
Instagram heavily favors photos and videos that are shot vertically, so if you try to post a picture that is horizontally captured as your story, then you will get blank bars at the top and bottom. But Instagram is now coming out with a fix in the form of an expand image feature with the help of Meta AI.
Instagram’s official account posted on X talking about the new expand image feature. It will essentially fill the missing gaps by taking context out of the photo you shared, and with the power of Meta AI. However, it goes without saying that it won’t be perfect and might not offer the intended results every time.
The Expand image option will be available at the top of the story creation screen on Instagram. This new story extend feature is currently rolling out for the U.S. users. We have no details on when it will be available in other regions.
The concept is quite similar to the Snapchat Extend Snaps feature, which came out in late 2023. However, it didn’t work well when I tested it back then, but given the improvements in AI since then, it is likely that Instagram’s implementation could prove to be a lot better.
Instagram head, Adam Mosseri, also revealed in his recent AMA that the company is working on a map feature. It will let you see the location of your friend and what’s happening around there, similar to Snap Maps. The number of features Instagram is getting “inspired” from Snapchat is absurd. At this point, it would be better for Meta to just buy off Snapchat.
