Skip to main content

You can now go live on Instagram with your friends thanks to its newest feature

Camera-shy until you have a companion? Instagram understands and it is doing everything it can to help get you broadcast live to all your friends, family, and followers. On Tuesday, the social media app announced the debut of a “fun way to go live with a friend.” No, it’s not just a matter of having someone else in your frame — instead, Instagram is beginning to let some folks add other users (specifically, those who are already watching your live-stream) directly to their broadcasts. Think of it as a virtual conversation that you are having in public.

Instagram envisions its sizable user base hanging out over Live together “whether you’re just doing homework or catching up on your day.” Once you add a fellow user, your screen will split in two, and the second broadcaster will appear below you. Those viewing your now joint feed will still be able to like and comment as you interact.

Recommended Videos

If you ever want your own show back, do not worry. Instagram assures its fans that they can remove guests or add another person at any time. And similarly, if you are sharing the spotlight with an Instagram friend, you can always choose to leave. Once you are finished with your broadcast, you can either choose to share the video to Instagram Stories or tap “Discard” to erase the evidence of your two (or more) person show.

“After we launched the first version of Live [last November], we noticed that a lot of folks were using it with friends in person,” Shilpa Sarkar, a product manager on the Live team, told Refinery29. “We wanted to bring that offline behavior online, so to speak, with a feature that allows you to be live with a friend even if you aren’t in the exact same space.”

Social media influencers and celebrities could also benefit from this new feature, allowing them to interact directly with their fans in a unique fashion. “Since introducing live video in November, millions of people have used it to connect with friends and followers in an authentic way. Now, you can have even more fun connecting with people in the moment,” Instagram noted.

Currently, Instagram is testing the tool with a “small percentage” of its user base. A global rollout is expected over the next few months.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
You now have another reason to use your Apple Watch’s ECG feature
ECG on the Apple Watch Series 7.

Most of us wear an Apple Watch to track our steps and respond to texts on the go, ignoring the more advanced features — but sometimes, those features could save your life. Rachel Manolo says the Apple Watch helped keep both her and her unborn child safe.

Manolo was around 18 weeks pregnant when her symptoms first started: a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, fatigue. After several weeks of this, she decided to use the ECG function on her Apple Watch. It gave her an inconclusive result, but she reported a heartbeat of more than 150 beats per minute (bpm) for more than 40 minutes.

Read more
You can now make your current smartwatch look just like the Pixel Watch 3
The Google Pixel Watch 3 lying on top of a plant.

Using a sideloading APK, you can now make your current Wear OS smartwatch resemble the upcoming Google Pixel Watch 3, even before its official release next month. The Pixel Watch 3, announced last week, will be available in a new size with a larger display and improved components. It will also feature some fancy new watch faces.

To get started, you'll need to download the latest Google Pixel Watch Faces APK (v3.0.119.647124927) on APKMirror. Unfortunately, as Android Police explains, you need to install the APK on your watch, not your phone, to get the new watch faces. As Android Police reminds us, this is a "convoluted process" at best.

Read more
You can finally try AI features on your iPhone with the iOS 18.1 beta
Apple Intelligence on iPhone pulling data from across apps.

If you’re part of the Apple Developer program and have been trying out the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone, then go grab the latest iOS 18.1 developer beta. This is a significant update, as it finally brings Apple Intelligence features to your iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

As of right now, Apple has only released the iOS 18.1 beta for developers. There is no public beta for iOS 18.1 yet, but it may be coming soon. You’ll also need the iOS 18.1 beta on an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, as those are the only two iPhone models that are capable of running Apple Intelligence features, though iOS 18 can go on devices as far back as the iPhone XS.

Read more