Instagram: Snaptchat-Like Stories Now Allowed, See Who's Viewed Your Posts

Stories, just like Snapchat's, has a pen annotation tool with common Instagram filters. It is only available in the mobile app. Users are given the option to add an uploaded section of a story to their permanent feed or just let it get deleted after 24 hours. However, the videos and images that make up Stories will not be completely removed as Instagram will store them on the servers.

Users will also be given the option to choose who can see their Stories. For private accounts, only followers will be able to view them in the same way that the usual Instagram feed works. There is also an option to hide Stories  from certain followers if the user wishes to do so. For users to check who has viewed their Stories, an icon labeled My Story on the homepage can be clicked and swiped up. It will then show the Instagram usernames who have viewed each photo and video.

There is no option to choose which Stories, should appear on one's feed, but Stories  will be ordered according the the user's interaction with people in their list. Users will see the Stories  of people they most interact with. A user cannot publicly like or comment on Instagram Stories, Instagram Blog reported. However, there is a Send Message button in the bottom left hand corner, which users can click to send a direct message.

Meanwhile, Instagram has recently released a raft of new features, including an algorithm-based timeline and a new logo. The app has seen its users rocket by 25 percent to 500 million in the last year, The Telegraph reported.

Instagram's Stories will be available in the United Kingdom by Wednesday morning, reportedly. Users can manually check if the update is ready to download from App Store on iOS and Google Play Store on Android devices.