Live video and audio chats seem to be the current darling of social media users now. The popularity of Clubhouse brought about Twitter Spaces and other upcoming features from brands like Facebook, Telegram, etc. The recently-introduced Instagram Live Rooms is also a sort-of offshoot of this trend and now it’s getting a small update that can be important for some who may want a different experience. Hosts will be able to mute the audio or turn off the video just like you could in other video conferencing apps.
Instagram Live Rooms was launched just last March. It’s basically similar to the popular Instagram Live feature except this time, you can video chat with three other people in your Live session. It’s giving off talk show vibes if that’s what you think your audience likes. Now according to Mashable, there’s a small change to the feature as hosts will be able to mute their audio or their video while live.
The ability to mute their video should give it a more Clubhouse-like feel as followers will only be able to hear the participants in the Live Room. This should also take off the pressure to look a certain way or even to dress up or put on make-up if you didn’t feel like doing an on-cam session. We’re not really sure what an audio-off experience would bring to Instagram Live Rooms but the option is there.
For now, the host can only turn the audio or video on and off for themselves and not for the others that are part of the livestream. Instagram said they’re working on offering more options for the host and will be rolling them out soon so let’s expect some more announcements soon. Meanwhile we’re waiting for Facebook to launch its audio chat feature to Messenger Rooms so expect to hear more about that soon.
The new Instagram Live Room feature should be rolling out to users now. Instagram also said Live Rooms should be available to everyone globally soon.