Instagram stealing the show with same feature as Snapchat

Clicking on the Snapchat icon and then swiping to the left, I checked the different stories my friends uploaded, tapping through the list of timed photos and videos.

Closing out of Snapchat, I went to Instagram. A new feature had been added: at the top, I clicked on the Instagram stories’ circles, skimming through the list of 10-second photos and videos.

Implemented on Aug. 2, Instagram Stories was introduced as a new feature of the app, which is owned by Facebook. Much of the public viewed this new feature as a plagiarism of Snapchat Stories, introduced three years ago.

It is, without a doubt, difficult to distinguish the two. After all, they have many of the same functionalities of each other. Both apps’ Stories have circles that show a preview snapshot of stories. Both have the option to doodle and add text after taking the picture or video. Both have a maximum video length of 10 seconds, and you can skip by tapping or go to the next person’s story by swiping.

Looking at the two Stories side by side, however, the two have minor differences. For example, Instagram allows for more options in drawing on the picture or video, offering three different pen styles while Snapchat has only one option. Instagram also orders the different stories by closest friends using an algorithm.

On the other hand, Snapchat provides stickers and geofilters, filters that are only available in a certain location. Snapchat has even already expanded its Stories to include specific events for “livestreaming,” introduced as Live Story on June 17, 2014, as well as a Discover section for advertisements, launched on Jan. 27, 2015.

Snapchat’s position as a photo and video messaging service also makes posting to Stories more convenient. Snapchat’s home screen loads to the camera, making it quick and easy to take a photo or video and upload to Stories.

In contrast, Instagram is closer to a photo and video sharing platform that allows people to share photos and videos that have already been captured.

Snapchat’s Stories have matured over the past three years, weaving in advertisements to earn a profit for Snapchat. Stories has been a significant source of revenue for Snapchat, and there is no doubt that Facebook wants a piece of the pie.

The similarities definitely trump the differences between the Stories in the two apps, but only time will tell whether or not Instagram decides to keep going with its Stories feature.