The latest update to the Instagram app now allows users to rewatch already-played broadcasts and gives you the ability to share them later on.
The live video-streaming feature launched last year, but never gave users the ability to save broadcasts after they wrapped. Now, live videos can be saved by tapping “Save” in the upper-right corner when your broadcast ends.
That being said, the fact that broadcasters will have the option to keep their stream should increase the occasions that people decide to go live. Previously users may have been hesitant to go live during an important moment (and instead record with their camera app or Snapchat) — because they knew they’d lose that footage forever.
Now users can get the best of both worlds — they can share interesting live content with their audience while still having the option to save it forever if it’s a special moment.
The new update puts Instagram on the same level as Twitter’s Periscope and Facebook’s Live which already allow users to save videos. Originally, Instagram’s head of product development, Kevin Weil, didn’t want users to be able to save the live videos “to make users more comfortable with live-streaming by removing pressure that the videos would be saved forever.” However, your live videos still won’t be online forever, as replays don’t automatically save. The update will roll out today for iOS and Android phones
