IG Cowatching: Instagram’s New Cowatching Feature

Cabin fever is catching up with everyone around the world.

To make staying at home easier to manage, Instagram has introduced a new feature, IG Cowatching, which aims to help users connect via video chat. 

Forget the normal Instagram video chat – now, you have the added benefit of scrolling through your Instagram feed together with your friends via video link.

Let’s see how this new feature works!

What is IG Cowatching?

The new IG Cowatching feature allows friends on a video chat or group video chat to browse through feed posts they’ve liked or saved, or that Instagram recommends.

How many times have you come across a post that you know your best friend or certain colleague would definitely love? 

Better yet, do you miss passing your phone over to your friends and colleagues so they can also see that interesting post?

Now you don’t need to send them a link to the posts or have to wait until you can go out again. Like or save it, video chat your friend, show them the post and have a laugh together. 

How is the Instagram Cowatching Feature Beneficial?

With Cowatching, Instagram users can now discuss posts live and unfiltered over video chat. 

Social distancing and isolation, though necessary, can take a toll on anyone.

People have started missing basic human contact, being able to go out for lunch, sharing a joke with a friend and other simple things they’ve always instinctively done, but never really considered.

Right now everyone needs a support network. The more social options we have the more connected we’ll feel right now.

By actively sharing, commenting and messaging each other on social media people tend to feel like they have a stronger support network.

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IG Cowatching is yet another social way to stay in touch in a fun and engaging way. With IG Cowatching, Instagram has found a way to let users hang out while staying apart.  

Cowatching is set to be a powerful feature even after the quarantines and social distancing are long gone. 

When it comes to marketing, brands now have another way to boost your Instagram engagement with small groups.

You could save a collection of posts from your company, such as product highlights and then discuss them with your top fans via the Instagram Cowatching feature.

How to Use IG Cowatching

To start a video chat, click the video chat icon in the Direct inbox or in an existing Direct thread. Then add up to six people to your Cowatch video stream. 

You’ll then see a “Posts” button at the bottom of your ongoing video chat. Click on that button to launch Cowatching. 

Members of the Cowatch can now pick from their Liked, Saved or Explore feeds and then reveal the post to the video chat for everyone to see. Everyone’s windows will be lined up beneath the post.

At the moment, you can only share feed photos and videos but not IGTV posts. You can share public posts or private ones as long as no one in the chat is blocked from viewing the posts.

If one participant is blocked from viewing a post, it won’t work for Cowatching.

IG Cowatching is just one of the latest Instagram features that continue to make this social platform awesome for both individuals and brands. 

So go on, hang out with your besties apart on Instagram video with Cowatch and remember to stay home and stay safe! 


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Keyhole is a real-time conversation tracker that provides keyword + hashtag analytics and social media analytics across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Get started for free here.

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