Facebook-owned picture-sharing social platform Instagram will, in the next few weeks, roll out the ability for users to upload photos and videos of any size to their stories.
Currently, if users upload a picture or video from their camera roll to their stories on Instagram, parts of the visual media are automatically cut off if they do not meet the specific narrower-than-usual portrait dimensions.
Instagram said in a blog post that with the new update, "when you upload a photo or video, pinch to share it in its original dimensions, whether it's square, portrait or landscape. Any extra room will be filled with a custom colour gradient that matches what you've shared."
Instagram first introduced Stories in 2016, a feature copied directly from rival Snapchat that allows users to post pictures and videos that disappear after 24 hours.
Similar features have since been incorporated across Facebook-owned apps - the main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
In November, it was reported that Instagram and WhatsApp now have over 300 million daily active users of their 'Story' and 'Status' features.
In comparison, Snapchat last year reported it has 178 million daily active users (in total, not only those using the Stories feature) in the third quarter ended 30 September.
Instagram has also introduced an option to add GIF stickers to users' stories.
"When you tap to add a sticker to a photo or video in stories, you'll now see a new GIF option. Tap it to open a library full of hundreds of thousands of moving stickers powered by GIPHY," explains Instagram.
"You can browse what's currently trending on GIPHY, or search their extensive collection to find a sticker for just about anything. From bouncing letters and twirling hearts, to dancing cats and pizza in space, these animated stickers help you make any photo or video funny, interesting or creative."
GIF stickers in Instagram are already available today as part of Instagram version 29 on iOS and Android. Free-size picture and video uploads will be available in the coming weeks.
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