Instagram Tests New Feature To Notify Users When There's An Outage Or Technical Issues

Facebook Inc FB said on Monday it was testing a feature on its photo and video sharing app Instagram that would alert users of outages or technical issues directly on the app.

What Happened: The social media giant said the feature would run in the United States first and let users know of any “temporary issues,” which could impact “engagement or distribution” on the app itself.

The feature would notify users with a notification in their Activity Feed in case of an outage or technical issue, and when it is resolved.  “This test will run in the U.S. and go on for the next few months,” the company said. 

“Just like any experiment, this may be something we roll out more widely, but we want to start small and learn. And if it makes sense to, we’ll expand to more people.”

See Also: With Facebook Outage, Rival Telegram Says It Saw A Record 70 Million New User Sign-Ups In A Single Day

Why It Matters: The latest feature comes days after a global outage at Facebook that impacted all its services, including Instagram and WhatsApp. 

The outrage forced Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg to apologize, who dubbed it a stark reminder of how much users rely on its services to stay connected and conduct business. 

Price Action: Facebook shares closed 1.39% lower at $325.45 a share on Monday.