Top 13 Things About Co-Watching Feature on Instagram Video Chat That You Should Know

If you use Instagram video chats frequently, you should have noticed a new photo icon on the call interface. This is a new media sharing feature launched by Instagram to promote social distancing due to COVID-19. What does it do and how to use it in Instagram video calls? Find the answer here.

You can call it co-observation, co-sharing or multimedia sharing. The feature is designed to help you view certain Instagram posts with your friends while you are on a video call. It’s a subtle version of the Facebook Watch Party.

Let’s take a closer look at how Instagram co-monitoring works and other important things about it.

1. What is co-viewing on Instagram video calls

Previously, if you were on a video conference with your friend and wanted to show them a photo of your collection saved on Instagram, you had to exit the call interface and send this post as a message. Even if the call did not disconnect, the whole process was a bit tedious.

Now with the co-watch feature, you can easily show them a post from your saved collection or posts you like without leaving the video chat interface or disconnecting the call. The message would only appear on the video call screen. You can view shared content together on the same screen during a video call.

2. Availability

Media sharing or co-watch functionality in video calls is available to everyone and all profiles on Instagram – be it public, private or business.

3. Does multimedia sharing work in group video chats

Yes, you can also use the functionality in group video chats. The same rules and steps will apply.

4. What media can you share during a video call

Sharing media on Instagram allows you to co-watch three things. First, the posts you liked on Instagram. Second, your bookmarked or saved items that you have added to your collections. Finally, if you want to check random posts with your friend, Instagram also suggests certain posts. The messages can be photos and videos.

Pro tip: You can view your favorite posts on Instagram by going to Instagram Settings> Account> Posts you liked.

5. What can’t you share in video calls

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot watch your entire feed or a friend’s feed with your friends using this feature. Only the three things mentioned above can be seen together. Even IGTV videos are currently missing from this feature.

And, no, you can’t add photos from your gallery or filmstrip to co-view it on Instagram.

6. How to share messages during a video call

Using this feature is quite simple. First, start a video call on Instagram. To do this, open the group or a discussion thread where you want to call someone. Then tap the video call icon at the top.

Once the call is connected, press the multimedia icon at the bottom or at the top. After that you will see three tabs – liked posts, saved posts and suggestions. At this point, only you will be able to see the messages. Tap a message to show it to others.

After sharing the message, it will appear on the screen for all participants. They will see a small notification showing the name of the person who shared the message.

7. How to delete or modify a shared post from a video call

To do this, press the Delete button on the photo. If it’s not visible, tap the photo once to make the Delete button visible. Alternatively, again, tap the multimedia icon and select another publication.

8. Will Instagram warn the other person when co-monitored

No. The person whose posts you are sharing will not be notified about this. However, since liked posts are one of the main elements of co-monitoring, the user would have received a notification when you previously liked the post.

9. Who can share or delete media

All participants in a video call can share supported articles. Likewise, anyone can delete the shared message from the current video call by adding a new message or deleting the existing message using the Delete option.

10. How many messages can be shared

Only one post can be shared at a time. If you want to co-watch more publications, you must first delete the existing publication.

11. What about private messages

The co-monitoring function works for public and private publications. If there are no restrictions in the case of public stations, things change with regard to private stations. So if you are trying to share a liked or saved message from a private profile, all participants must follow the private profile. If even one of the participants does not follow the private profile, no one will be able to see this message.

12. Co-Watching vs Instagram Live

These are two completely different characteristics. The main difference is that Instagram Live is visible to all of your subscribers. On the contrary, co-monitoring is a private experience limited to your messages and can only be carried out with a few selected people.

13. Multimedia feature does not work in Instagram video calls

If you don’t have the feature or it doesn’t work properly, don’t worry. Follow the fixes mentioned below to resolve it.

Update Instagram

The first thing to do is update the Instagram app. Updating the app would bring you new features.

Empty the cache

On Android, you can try clearing the Instagram app cache. This will not delete your messages or your subscribers.

To clear the cache, go to your phone’s settings, then to apps. Tap Instagram. Hit the storage. Then tap Clear cache.

Reinstall Instagram

Finally, you can try uninstalling the app from your Android or iPhone. Once uninstalled, reinstall it. Know what happens when you uninstall Instagram from your phone.

Look together

Instagram’s co-monitoring function is currently limited in several ways. If IGTV videos or stories had been included, it would be more exciting. But when it comes to stories and publications, confidentiality plays an important role. Let’s wait and see how Instagram develops functionality over time.