You can now view and upload Instagram Stories on the web

Instagram Stories have announced they will now allow desktop web users to view Stories, and will soon allow you to post to Stories too. Instagram has already copied all of Snapchats' best bits and has now taken it one step further offering something Snapchat can't.

Similar to the mobile version Instagram explains you’ll see stories at the top of your feed, and you can tap to watch them. To skip or go back to a story, you can tap the right and left arrows

They also announced that in the coming months Instagram will allow users to upload stories via the mobile web. This feature will be helpful for professional photographers and videographers who go the extra mile by editing their images and videos before sharing.

I found this to be an odd move for Instagram as according to one source, only 2% of Instagram users use desktop. Marketing Land also reported that mobile now accounts for 69 percent of digital media time spent. As users turn to their mobiles over desktop, it would make more sense for social media platforms to focus their attention where their customers are - mobile.

You may have noticed the 'Stories' format showing up everywhere including Facebook, WhatsApp, and even Tinder. But as Instagram’s features have become very similar to Snapchat, it has become confusing for marketers to determine which platform is best to use for their business. In a recent article, we look at their differences and which platform is best for your business - Instagram or Snapchat.

According to Techcrunch Instagram says that Stories on the web is rolling out starting today, but the process won’t complete for weeks. Posting to Stories from the web will follow in the months ahead.