Instagram Status indicator is a new feature announced in a blog post yesterday (Jul. 19). The feature consists of a green status dot that lets users know whether their friend (follower) is online in the app. If you’re browsing Instagram, you will see a green dot next to the profile pictures of those people who follow you if they are also on Instagram at the moment. This is bad news for anyone who wants their presence on the app to go unnoticed.
Aside from that, the Instagram Status indicator dot will show up in the direct messaging part of the app as well as on the list of your followers. Instagram added that, “You will only see status for friends who follow you or people who you have talked to in Direct.” That said, the app wants you to talk more to the people you already talk to over the app. Nevertheless, this novelty can be disabled in the “Activity Status” setting, although it is activated by default.
“DMing friends and connecting over the content you love is more fun when you know your friends are there to see it. This update gives you the ability to have more of those realtime conversations while giving you the control to hide your status altogether,” it says in blog post.
This is not the first attempt by Instagram to let other users know whether you are online or not. There is already a feature that displays showing when the last time someone was online in direct messaging, for instance, “Active 15m ago” or “Active Now,” displays in grey text by the account info in direct messaging. Since this innovation, for those who prefer it, adding the Instagram Status indicator dot doesn’t seem like a big change. However, Instagram is undoubtedly approaching its title of a “real-time social media” network similar to Facebook or Facebook Messenger. The reason many people preferred Instagram was because they could uninterruptedly and quietly scroll through people’s photos and stories, without having the feeling of being spied on by an online status indicator.
It’s safe to say that the process of turning Instagram into Facebook has begun. However, that is not the only new feature that we have seen lately. One month ago, Instagram announced IGTV, a part of the app that improves the video experience on Instagram. That said, great streaming networks like Twitch or even YouTube have gotten a legitimate rival. Instagram wanted to solve the problem of its videos being only 60 seconds long, and it allowed users to share original and engaging video content online.
This innovation was warmly embraced by many people who want to step up their exposure on Instagram or even improve their “Instagram career.” However, will the new Instagram Status indicator do the same? Will it affect users who were only asking for peace and quiet time while scrolling different content and sharing their everyday lives? We’ll find out soon enough.
If you want to learn how to control the status indicator dot, make sure to check here.
