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With hands-free recording mode, Instagram Stories might finally beat Snapchat

With hands-free recording mode, Instagram Stories might finally beat Snapchat

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Stickers are cool, too

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Instagram

Instagram’s newest update for iOS and Android turns the app into even more of a Snapchat clone. Users can now add stickers to their stories, including some that depict a user’s current location, time, or weather. Holiday stickers are also available for the next few weeks, but will be replaced with more permanent stickers in 2017.

Adding a location sticker is essentially the same as tagging the location to regular Instagram posts; users just choose or search for where they are, and people watching their story can tap the sticker to learn more about that place.

Instagram

While stickers are a fun addition to Instagram Stories, the company is also adding support for more practical features. Users can now save their entire story from the past day as one video to their camera roll. They can also add unlimited text to photos and videos — just press the text button to add more, then choose its alignment. Text can also be resized with a new slider that automatically wraps the writing.

While all that is cool, perhaps the most exciting update is that users now have the option of a “hands-free” mode. This will let them start recording a video with a tap. So yes, finally, no more press and hold to record. Sorry, Snapchat, but Instagram has you beat here.