Instagram is testing Regram button, GIF search, emoji suggestions, iOS beta program & more

Instagram is secretly testing a Regram button with a subset of its user base, as well as many other features coming to the platform, such as a Stories archive and closest friends lists.

The Next Web reports that the native Regram button, found below each post, will at long last make it possible for people to reshare their Instagrams without using a third-party app or having to resort to manually saving and re-posting them from their own account.

The company is also testing a bunch of other capabilities, some of which have been broadly available for some time now and others still being tested with a subset of users.

Here are some of the more important ones spotted in testing:

  • GIF search for Stories—This will let you search for GIFs on Giphy to add to your Stories or other posts.
  • Instagram Beta app on iOS—Just like the existing Android beta app, Instagram Beta for iOS will permit select people to test the new features before their broader release.
  • Archive Stories—This feature allows you to keep your favorite Stories around in your archive so you don’t have to save them on your iPhone. Your personal archive is private so only you will be able to see any Stories in it.
  • Closest Friends list—You will be able to add your favorite friends to a select group for sharing content with just them.
  • Share to WhatsApp—This option will make it easy for users to share posts or profiles with friends on WhatsApp.
  • Share to Facebook—Like WhatsApp sharing, this will simplify the process of sharing your favorite Instagram posts and Stories with friends on Facebook. Many users have had that for a while.
  • Top emojis and hashtags in search—A pair of dedicated Top Emojis and Top Hashtags links underneath the search field will act as quick search shortcuts.
  • Emoji suggestions—Instant emoji shortcut words for things like “Congratulations”
  • Hashtag following—Following a hashtag will ensure you get notified about top posts and recent stories about any topics that may interest you.
  • Pinning in DM—The direct messaging feature will gain a thread pinning option.

Last but not least, the app may present users with an Add Coffee option when they’re sharing a post on their feed. It wasn’t very clear at post time what that feature might do.

This is GIF search in action.

And here’s replacing certain words with appropriate emojis.

We’re expecting these new features to roll out over the coming weeks and months.

Have you’ve already seen some of them in action? If so, do feel free to share your impressions with us by leaving a comment down below.