Instagram is becoming more like Facebook

If you've spent any time watching Instagram Stories over the last year, you've probably noticed a trend: Posts that don't have any photos or videos at all. With polls, quizzes, text updates, and AMA-style question and answer sessions, Instagram Stories are moving beyond their photographic roots.

Now Instagram is redesigning its in-app camera to make it easier to create non-image Stories posts using Instagram's "creative" tools, like polls, questions, and GIFs.

It may seem like a relatively minor change for Instagram, which has been steadily adding features to Stories for some time. But it highlights just how crucial Stories has become to Instagram's engagement, and how the format has evolved. Read more...