Instagram is currently testing a new feature that allows users to share new Instagram Stories directly to their Facebook account. The feature, first reported by Mashable, appears to be Facebook's latest attempt to increase the visibility of Stories in its main app, essentially by getting users of its more visual-oriented Instagram network to double-post stories as Facebook Stories.
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🚨 ALERT 🚨
Instagram is testing option to share your 'Story' directly to Facebook h/t @mruiandre pic.twitter.com/VTqI92dNJe — Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) September 6, 2017
As part of the test, which is likely only a partial rollout for now, Instagram users see a new option to share their newly captured photos and videos as a Facebook Story as well as an Instagram Story, according to screenshots posted to Twitter.
The experiment appears to suggest that Facebook Stories, which the company launched in April, have failed to be a hit with the social media network's users. Like Snapchat and Instagram Stories before them, Facebook Stories let users post a picture or video onto their feed, which disappears 24 hours later.
Facing poor adoption of a feature that appears at the top of the news feed, Facebook initially tweaked the UI to look less bereft by showing ghost-like, grayed-out profile pictures of friends, regardless of whether they've ever posted a Facebook Story. But it looks like that hasn't had much effect either.
By contrast, Instagram Stories enjoy high engagement and are reportedly used by 250 million people daily. In fact, Instagram's success has allowed it to remain largely free of encroachment from its parent company until now, so Facebook's attempt to siphon off some of that success to its core app implies this could be a last-ditch attempt to save Facebook Stories before the feature's removed for good.
Top Rated Comments
The only future for facebook that i see is if it remains only as a place for business, since all companies use facebook these days for displaying info and other stuff.
There seem to be an unavoidable cycle to "internet" services. Something sleek "service"/"webpage" emerges. People flock to it. They keep adding features none asked for. They neuter / hide / bloat their main service to drive people to the features none asked for. To the point only a third of the displayed content is what you visit for. Something new sleek appears and they die bloated and alone.
That's because the "sleek" services are started by "disrupters" who then decide they like money. So they cow tow to big corporations for funding, eventually lose their way, cash out, wash rinse and repeat.Maybe evict that deadbeat tenant Android out as well, but that will never happen.
The phrase "No shit Sherlock!" comes to mind...The experiment appears to suggest that Facebook Stories have failed to be a hit with users.
One can only hope.... this could be a last-ditch attempt to save Facebook Stories before the feature's removed for good.
It's clearly visible (and in the way), but no-one uses it and no-one WANTS to use it.
Give it up now, Facebook, seriously.