Instagram Rolls Out Dual Livestreaming Update

Instagram wants you to know that it takes two to livestream.

In the app’s latest update, Instagram is rolling out the capability to livestream yourself with another Instagram user. The feature is rolling out to a small amount of randomly-selected people today, and will be testing for a few months before it is implemented for all users.

This is how it works: begin your livestream in the typical way, then click on the bottom right button the screen labelled “Add.” From there, you can select anyone who’s watching your current screen and invite them to join. If they accept, your screen splits into two with your livestream neighbor below yourself and you can continue showing the world your makeup tutorial, pool party or whatever else it is you might want to stream. Viewers can continue to watch your dual screen stream and comment or like in the normal fashion.

You can boot out your guest at anytime, and they can exit as well. Dual streaming could be a unique way to schedule news interviews, let influencers connect with fans, or just show off what’s going on in your life to another person while also telling the world.

The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app rolled out its initial livestreaming capabilities in November 2016 and realized that many users were typically streaming only when with their friends. After your live video ends, you can save it to your Stories or discard it with the push of a button.

Earlier this year it was reported that over 700 million people use Instagram and 250 million people add to their Stories every single day. Younger Instagram users spend over 30 minutes a day on the app.