Instagram Working On A Twitter Rival That Could Debut In June; Details inside

INSTAGRAM is working on a text-based app, possibly a Twitter counterpart, that could debut soon, Bloomberg citing sources reported on Friday. The Meta-owned app is testing the platform with some influencers and celebrities, the news platform adds.

Reuters, citing the report, claims the parent company has been reaching out to talent agencies and celebrities to offer them a pre-release build for trials for months. It would be integrated into Instagram, according to Alex Health from The Verge.

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"The decentralized app is built on the back of Instagram but will be compatible with some other apps like Mastodon," according to a tweet by Lia Haberman, who teaches social and influencer marketing at UCLA.

A centralised feed would allow the creator to keep track of followers and "recommended content". As per the newsletter by Haberman, a user will be able to sync existing followers. The handle and bio description with verification will be sourced from the user's Instagram account.

Further, a user will be able to post text posts with up to 500 characters, the author adds. This is less than an Instagram caption or an extended tweet. The post would support links, images and up to 5-minute videos. Similar to Twitter, reactions to a post via a like, reply or repost would be possible.

For account safety and controls, a creator can control "replies, mentions" and block/report spam. If you block an account on Instagram, it will be blocked on the new app too. The community guidelines of Instagram will seep into the "text-based" platform.

In the leaked screenshot shared on Twitter, a UI on the lines of the famous micro-blogging platform with text updates is visible. Opening the profile view has the user bio with the follower count with the option to edit and share the profile.

"Historically, we know Meta likes to sample and re-create features from other apps and third-party tools based on what they anticipate being popular with their users," citing Haberman, Bloomberg reported.

Upon a request for comment from the company, no immediate response followed, Reuters reported.