As 2016 comes to an end, most will decide that January 1st is the day to make a change but not social media. 2016 has been full of changes, updates, and new additions to the apps we already love. Facebook and Instagram have been full of surprises this year as they seem to merge more than ever before. Instagram has rolled out ads, analytics, a save feature, and made messaging on the app bigger than ever before! Sound familiar? Facebook has taken the photo app to the next level, which has prevented it from being stagnant like Twitter. Growth and change is what will take Facebook and Instagram to new heights in the upcoming year.

So what all has changed with Facebook and Instagram in the last month? A LOT!

Instagram:

• LIVE Video
• Stickers for Stories
• Save your favorite Photos or Videos

LIVE Video

Facebook was the first social media platform to roll out LIVE video, but now this feature is available for Instagram users as well. If you’ve ever wanted to go live on Instagram now is your chance. Just click to add a story and slide right at the bottom to go LIVE. The catch with Instagram live videos is that they disappear right after you’re done (unlike Facebook). So if you want to go live make sure your followers know so they don’t miss a beat.

Stickers for Stories

To liven up stories and to compete with Snapchat’s filters, Instagram has launched stickers for stories! You can now add stickers to spice up your story. Stickers are available for almost any moment including holidays.

Save your favorite Photos or Videos

One of my favorite features and the one that I will use the most is the ability to save my favorite photos or videos on Instagram! Facebook rolled this out for their users a while back and now Instagram users get to take advantage of this as well. This feature is great if you want to watch a video at a later date because you aren’t able to listen to the audio at the moment or if you want to stay up-to-date on the conversation going on within the photo. With so much content, it is now easier to save your favorite moments for later!

Facebook:

• Messenger Camera
• Video Group Chat in Messenger
• Text Statuses with NEW Colored Backgrounds

Messenger Camera

The way we communicate has become more visual than ever before! Messenger now has an easier to use camera with art and special effects that users can take advantage of to make messages more personal than ever. We all know how hard it can be to decipher what someone really meant with a text conversation, and that is why this feature is so important and enhances the way we communicate. The ability to send videos and photos with special effects will no longer leave your friends and family questioning what you really mean.

Video Group Chat in Messenger

Have you ever wanted to video group chat with your friends? Well, now you can with video group chat in Facebook Messenger! Video group chat is available on IOS, Android, and even desktop! You have the ability the see up to six people at a time, and if your group is larger they can listen in to the conversation. Now, no one has to miss out on anything!

Text Statuses with NEW Colored Backgrounds

Since our conversations have been more visual than ever before, Facebook is launching the ability to post text statuses with colored backgrounds. What better way to catch your friends and family’s attention than to add your favorite color to the background of your status update? Text updates may make a comeback in 2017, but only time will tell.

With some of the biggest updates coming to Instagram and Facebook at the end 2016, we can’t wait to see what 2017 has for two of our favorite social media apps! Stay tuned!