Instagram Users Can Now Go Live With 3 Guests via Live Rooms, Here's How it Works

Instagram has announced the launch of Live Rooms feature in India that will allow users to add up to three additional people during a live session. The feature is an extension of the Live functionality within the Instagram camera page, that lets two users start a live session together. Notably, with the new feature, users can add the third guest even at a later time, the company explained. The Live Rooms will rollout via an OTA update in the coming days, and the company is yet to share more details.

The Facebook-owned platform in a press note also said that the early tests for Live Rooms were done in India and it is also one of the first countries where the feature is rolling out broadly. The company hopes that the new feature would be a useful tool for many professional and upcoming creators who have been relying on the platform heavily during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instagram says that Live views in India grew 60 percent on a week-on-week basis in March, therefore it hopes that the Live Rooms would also see favourable engagements. The early testings were conducted with notable India-based creators such as Shereen Bharwani, Manav Chhabra and Rohina Anand Khira.

Speaking about the development, Ajit Mohan, Facebook India vice president said, “Creators are at the forefront of pushing culture and creativity on Instagram and we’re constantly innovating to help them express themselves better. This year, in particular, has seen extensive use of Live, and as physical distancing norms continue, Live will remain an invaluable feature to bring friends, families and audiences together, and foster meaningful conversations. From the launch of Reels to the testing and rollout of Live Rooms, India is playing a crucial role in the way products are being designed for the future.”

The company adds that Live Rooms will facilitate greater audience engagement and also focus on existing safety measures. There are built-in controls to keep the community safe, the company adds. To use Instagram Live rooms, users can simply open the Instagram camera page (by swiping left on the main page) and select Live camera option. To add a guest, tap the camera/Rooms icon. Unlike the previous live feature, users can now manually add viewers that they want to. The rollout for Live Rooms has begun and will be available to more users in India and Indonesia shortly.

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