Instagram is working on a new feature called video note for its standalone messaging app Threads that helps users stay connected to close or smaller circle of friends.
The new feature, reported by mobile developer and leaker Alessandro Paluzzi, will automatically turn audio in videos to live captions.
"Instagram is working on a new feature for the Threads app: video note. This feature will turn the audio of the video into live captions that will be shown in time with the recording," Paluzzi tweeted.
This feature is especially helpful for users with hearing disabilities.
The video note feature would also help Threads users understand what their friends are actually meant to say, and respond clearly.
Facebook in October last year launched the Snap-clone app for Instagram users.
Threads lets you share photos, videos, messages, Stories and more with Instagram close friends list.
"You are in control of who can reach you on Threads, and you can customise the experience around the people who matter most," said Robby Stein, Director of Product, Instagram.
You can use Threads to message close friends on Instagram and you'll have a dedicated inbox and notifications just for them.
Threads app opens directly to the camera and allows you to add shortcuts, so you can share what you are doing in just two taps.
Instagram has also expanded its new video-music remix feature Reels, which takes inspiration from the Chinese short video making app TikTok, to France and Germany.
Instagram Reels was first launched in Brazil last year as a pilot.
According to a TechCrunch report, Instagram will now enable users to share Reels to their main Instagram feed, in addition to Stories.
Instagram Reels allows users to record short, 15-second video clips set to music or other audio and share those on the platform.
Just like TikTok, users can soundtrack their 'Reels' with a huge catalog of music, or borrow the audio from anyone else's video to create a remix of their meme or joke.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently said that in India, TikTok has gone ahead of Instagram. He also mentioned that TikTok works much like Instagram's Explore feature.
Facebook's experimental app division has also introduced a new iOS app called Collab for making and mixing music with friends.
The social network also has a stand-alone app called ‘Lasso'. Currently available in the US, users can record themselves dancing and lip-syncing to music, similar to what they can do on TikTok.
Google-owned YouTube is reportedly working on a TikTok rival called Shorts, to be introduced by the end of this year.