Instagram is rolling out a new way to quickly follow people you’ve met in real life. Called Nametag, the feature works by showing your username on your phone in a format that allows it to be scanned by your soon-to-be follower. This tag can also be customized with additional designs, colors, and stickers.
Instagram’s Nametag feature makes it easier to follow people you meet IRL
It’s also testing School Community bios at some US universities
It’s also testing School Community bios at some US universities
Image: Instagram
Similar functionality is already available across other social media networks. Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat users can generate QR codes for others to scan and quickly find accounts, while Spotify offers the same for music tracks.
A faster way to follow
To use the feature, you can go to your profile, hit the menu button on the top right, and select “Nametag” to display your own code. When you want to scan someone else’s code, you can do so by swiping right into the camera, focusing on the tag, and holding down on the screen.
Nametag is launching globally starting today, and it’s available on both iOS and Android.
Alongside Nametag, Instagram is also testing a new bio field at some US universities, which will allow you to add your school, class year, and society memberships. Searching for this information will then show you a directory of everyone at that institution, making it easier to find and add classmates… and for Facebook to gather more information about you.
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