Instagram Live has become the primary means for many to broadcast their daily lives or just have a casual talk with their followers. It’s become especially important amidst the COVID-19-related lockdown. And what’s even better is that you no longer need to pull out your phone to watch a live stream. You can now watch any Instagram Live broadcast in a browser window on your desktop.
This feature was first spotted over the weekend as some users started seeing the ‘Live’ badge next to user profiles in the ‘Stories’ section on the right of the main feed. You can see the screenshot attached below to get a better idea. To watch a stream, simply tap on the profile name to jump into the broadcast right away.
As you can see in the screenshot below, there’s one minor difference in the UI and will be loved by many. The comments don’t scroll over and cover the live streams anymore. It’s not bothersome and you don’t need to turn it off. Instead, Instagram has made full use of the immense space on its website. It now shows comments separately – next to the stream.
Also, the screenshot reveals that live streams on the web support two-person streams as well. You can only view the Instragam Live on the web and not request to be a part of it. A lot of other features are not here as well. But, it does make it easier for users to tune it to the myriad of streams during lockdown from their browsers.
This feature addition comes only a couple of days after Instagram DMs have become widely available to all on the web. Now, this means you can not only text your friends but also see their live streams on the Instagram website. Is this a feature you’ve been waiting for? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
