Instagram Stories Adds Option to Ask Questions for Some Users; Persistent Stories Bar in Testing

After adding the abilities to share content from other apps and choose from thousands of licensed songs, Instagram Stories now allow users to ask questions. This new change is in addition to the existing options, namely location, mention, and poll. The new feature is presently available for select Android users, though it will likely be rolled out for the masses in coming days. Meanwhile, Instagram has been spotted testing a persistent Stories bar that stays at the top even if you scroll down the feed. There are over 400 million daily active users on Instagram Stories.

As reported by Android Police, the feature to let users ask questions in Instagram Stories comes in line with the yes/ no polls and emoji sliders that exist across Android and iOS devices. It finally let Instagram users ask certain open-ended questions to their followers and get their answers directly from stories. It is unclear when the new feature will be rolled out for the masses. However, an Android Police reader has received the question option in Stories with the latest version of the Android app. This suggests that the Facebook-owned company is conducting the initial testing of the new feature.

In a separate development, folks at The Verge have spotted that the Instagram app for Android has received a persistent Stories bar that stays at the top and doesn't move down once you scroll the feed down. This is apparently to give a boost to the engagements on Instagram Stories as the bar will stick to the top, no matter how deep you've gone into your feed.

An Instagram spokesperson has confirmed The Verge about the development in a standard statement. "We're always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and make it easier to share any moment with the people who matter to you," the spokesperson said.

Late last month, Instagram Stories received a worthy upgrade that brought the ability to let users add soundtracks to their stories from a catalogue of thousands of licensed songs. Instagram also recently announced the option to sell products via Instagram Stories. Initially, the company opened ground for select international brands, such as Adidas, Aritzia, and Louis Vuitton. A sticker with a shopping bag icon shows the shopping feature in certain stories.