Instagram launches Challenges sticker & Stay Home AR collection

Instagram released two updates today - testing a new 'Challenges' sticker and a 'Stay Home' AR collection in the Stories gallery.

Testing Challenges in Instagram Stories

Starting today, Instagram is testing Challenges in Stories, which makes it easy to join challenges through a sticker, via the stories text tool, or from nominations from friends.

The platform has observed that people are using @mentions, text, and hashtags to join popular challenges. Now, with the new sticker, users will be able to participate, nominate friends in a streamlined manner. If you come across a challenge when watching other people's Stories, you can join in simply by tapping on the sticker to try it yourself. Anyone can try a challenge, even without being nominated.

Alternately, when someone nominates a user for a challenge, the user will receive a DM saying their friend mentioned them in the story. After they tap into the story where they're nominated, the user can tap “Try This Challenge” to open the camera with a “Nominated by” challenge sticker. The user can then share this to their own story and the nominator will be tagged in the story.

Also Read: Testing: New features for Instagram Live

For this test, everyone will be able to participate in challenges, but only a limited number of challenges will be available.

‘Stay Home’ AR collection in the Effects gallery

A few weeks ago, Instagram launched the ‘Stay Home’ and ‘Ghar Pe Raho’ stickers, allowing users to show how they are practicing social distancing at this time. The platform is building on that effort to create a centralized experience to find effects promoting awareness, staying active, challenges, fun games, and more.

This includes the ‘Guess The Gibberish’ AR effect, along with others like ‘Drawin5secons’ and ‘’Name By letter…’. The "Stay At Home" collection will be updated with new effects.