Recently, Instagram was spotted testing unskippable ads called "Ad Break," which will show compulsory advertisements with a countdown that lasts 3-5 seconds. Now, Meta is spotted testing another new feature for Instagram that will let you cross-post Instagram Stories to WhatsApp.
Currently, you can cross-post Instagram Stories to Facebook, however, the feature could soon be available for WhatsApp as well. WhatsApp boasts over 450 million daily active users, and its continuous expansion in the Western market could be the reason behind Meta"s testing of Instagram"s cross-posting feature.
According to app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi on X, the feature could soon land on Instagram, and you will find the option to cross-post IG Stories to WhatsApp next to the Facebook button in the menu bar within the app. Meta also allows you to cross-post your Instagram images to Threads, its text-based X competitor.
With the addition of WhatsApp, it will allow Instagram users to expand their potential audience reach. As per the report, you could presumably directly share the Instagram Stories to WhatsApp Stories, which is Instagram Stories" equivalent.
There could be some formatting issues, and various elements may not directly translate between the two apps; for example, interactive stickers may not work on WhatsApp as they do on Instagram. However, the option to reach a wider audience will be welcomed by Instagram users, especially those who use Instagram for business purposes.
Earlier, Mark Zuckerberg shared that the WhatsApp Channels is used by over 500 million monthly active users. This gives you a perspective on how huge it will be for users who want to promote their business or anything.
The ability to cross-post Instagram Stories on WhatsApp is a feature under development, and it hasn"t been rolled out as of yet. There is no exact timeline on when this feature could land for normal Instagram users, but it could happen anytime soon this year.