Instagram was discovered to be testing a new feature called Community Chat, allowing users to organize groups of up to 250 members right in the application. This information was discovered by developer Alessandro Paluzzi - who has a lot of experience in finding new features for Meta applications.
According to images shared by Paluzzi, this feature works similar to the Discord. Users can create groups to chat around specific topics and control participation, although the maximum number of members is limited to 250 people.
Unlikebroadcast channels on Instagram - where only content creators can send messages to followers, with Community Story, all members of the group can participate in discussions.
In addition, this feature also has a censorship tool integrated. Admin can delete messages and members to ensure a safe chat environment. Instagram will also review community chat groups according to Community Standards.
It is not yet clear when, or whether this feature will be officially launched. An Instagram spokesperson said that this is just an internal prototype and has not been tested outside the company.
However, Meta has previously deployed similar features on other apps. In 2022, WhatsApp introduced Communities, while Facebook and Messenger also launched the Community Story in the same year. At that time, CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that this was a way to help users connect with people with similar interests.
