Polling public opinion is getting easier than ever on Instagram. The photo-sharing app is constantly introducing new features and its latest is the ability to ask questions in Instagram Stories. While users already have the option of adding yes/no polls and multiple choice questions to their ephemeral content, as well as emoji sliders (where you literally slide an emoji on a scale to express your emotion), this is actually the first time that Instagram is letting folks pose open-ended questions to their followers.
Unlike the previous options, the question feature allows users to ask questions that could have extremely lengthy answers. Rather than asking your followers whether or not your outfit is flattering, you can delve deeper, perhaps inquiring as to the meaning of life (though you probably shouldn’t expect particularly illuminating answers … we are, after all, on Instagram). Your followers can also respond in as many characters as they like (because this isn’t Twitter).
As Android Police notes, the feature is not yet available to everyone quite yet, as only a handful of people seem to be experiencing the open-ended question option. That said, it does seem to be rolling out internationally — users in both Indonesia and Spain have spotted the open-ended question.
It’s not entirely clear as to exactly how responses are received. Do they land in your inbox? Will all answers be combined and then sent to you as part of the Story? Currently, if you post a Story, fellow users respond via direct messages (which are, of course, located in your inbox). But as Instagram continues to make its Stories more interactive, it could be the case that responses will be made somewhat collaborative, and turned into a Story of their own.
Instagram has not officially confirmed that it is testing the feature, but based on the reports we have seen thus far, it seems quite clear that the Facebook-owned platform is already well on its way to seeing what else it can do to improve its interface. Of course, we will keep you posted as we learn more about open-ended questions in Stories, and may just have a few questions of our own to ask.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.