Instagram adds pinch to zoom feature for photos and videos

Facebook-owned Instagram has rolled out a new update to its iOS app where users can pinch to zoom on photos and videos in feed, profiles and on "Explore" tab. "Over the past six months, you've seen many exciting changes come to Instagram, from a new icon to longer videos and even a new way to share everyday moments with Instagram Stories. And as things change, we're still focused on improving the core parts of Instagram," Instagram said in a blog post.Zoom is available for Instagram on iOS and will be available on Android in the coming weeks. Instagram recently announced its "Stories" format that clones Snapchat's popular feature. In Instagram "Stories", a set of moments are created that will appear in a slideshow format which can be viewed by followers for up to 24 hours which then disappear without remaining on your permanent profile -- much like Snapchat "Stories".In the first update to its 'Stories' feature users can zoom in while recording videos and have the option to switch between the front- and rear-facing cameras. Instagram is also giving its users the ability to natively add text, stickers and drawings to photos in the story. Users will see stories from people they follow in a bar at the top of their feed -- from their best friends to their favourite popular accounts. When there's something new to see, their profile photo will have a colourful ring around it.IANS