This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, Facebook launched group stories on its platform, but the feature was met with lukewarm reception from users and was subsequently removed.
However, it appears that Instagram is now taking a stab at the feature, which could potentially find a more welcoming audience on the photo-centric platform.
According to app researcher Jane Mancun Wong, Instagram is currently testing the group stories feature in one of its test builds.
Wong shared screenshots on Twitter that indicate the feature will allow users to post stories to a group, as well as create a new group and post stories there.
When the feature goes live, users will be able to select the 'share to Group Story' option, which will make the story visible only to members of that group message thread.
This feature could be useful for users who want to share stories with a specific group of friends, such as those attending the same event or sharing a common interest.
Additionally, Instagram is also testing GIF Story Replies, a feature that will allow users to respond to their Instagram Stories with a GIF.
While there's no word on when these features will be available to users, we'll keep an eye out and update you the moment they release.
