Is this the beginning of the end of Snapchat

It’s no secret that Instagram is quickly becoming the go-to platform for just about everything, especially now that it has added features found in both Snapchat and Facebook including live streaming. Could these updates foretell the beginning of the end of Snapchat?

Since Instagram was purchased by Mark Zuckerberg back in 2012, the app has expanded and most recently launched Stories. While this new experience is similar to Facebook Live and the new place to discover viral videos; it’s lifespan is limited and like Snapchat, will disappear when you finish recording.

Instagram also upgraded its direct-messaging system. In addition to text, you can now send one or more photos or videos that will disappear after being watched but with one significant improvement — when you share with a group, you can see everyone’s responses in one thread. While Stories isn’t available to everyone yet, you can still test direct messaging now.

All of the new Insta features are almost certainly going to have a huge impact to Snapchat’s bottom line but just how significant remains to be seen. We can’t really say for sure who’s going to win this social sharing platform battle, but it does look like — from where we’re standing, Instagram is vying to take the cake!