Following up less than a week after it prematurely let the cat out of the bag, Instagram's new messaging service, named Bolt, is now available for users in some countries. It's what can basically be described as a Snapchat clone, where you sign in and quickly send pictures back and forth between friends. You use your phone number to sign in rather than an email or Facebook account, and sending pictures to friends is just one tap away — there's no actual shutter button to press and review the image before it's sent.
According to TechCrunch Instagram is launching Bolt in just a handful of countries as an initial release to work out the bugs in the app. Those countries include Singapore, South Africa and New Zealand, which were chosen because of their high Instagram usage. If you live in one of the aforementioned countries you can get your hands on the app now, but Instagram isn't quite spilling the beans on when it'll be available in other markets.
We'll have to see how well Bolt is received in the initial launch countries considering the stiff competition in the quick messaging and photo space, where even Instagram itself competes with in-app direct photo messaging and chat of all types from its parent company Facebook. Are you looking forward to trying out Bolt for yourself? Let us know in the comments.
Source: TechCrunch
Reader comments
Instagram launches Bolt picture messaging service, but only in select countries
APK?
They usually don't post .apk files here. Gotta use good ol Google to find it.
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Apk will do no one any good. They did a text message verification and it won't work for countries outside their list. I found the apk by a quick search, unless it can be hacked.
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What about 'murica?
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Fantastic. More ways to send self-destructing nudes!
Posted from my TARDIS!
You know, I was thinking about it... I kind of laughed at another stupid Snapchat clone... but I kind of like this idea better because there is no shutter and no screen to review your image.
It's just TAP and SENT. Therefore... less time for the drunk idiot (ladiessss) to decide they don't actually want to send that n00d.
Once they impulsively decide it's a good idea and then rethink their action, it's far too late haha.
I'll be sticking to Snapchat for now just because I'm more familiar with it. That'll probably be the story with most people.
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Unless your sending nudes you are using Snapchat wrong. The same goes for most people. That's why I dislike Snapchat because the guys who invented it won't even admit that's what its for.
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I use Snapchat and I have enough decency not to do stupidity like that. And no, I don't believe that's what it's made for. If that's the case then you wouldn't be able to IM or video chat or ise geofilters.
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The auto delete feature and no way to save was yes intended for private sexting. You may use it for another purpose and that's fine but it's plainly obvious that what this app was made for. I'm disappointed that the founders were on Colbert and wouldn't own up to it.
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I predict it will be at least as good as Facebook Slingshot.
Haha!
AT LEAST! haha
Shocked this is not available in the USa
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Bolt when is it coming to the united kingdom
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why do you even want it lol, its nothing special
Great read! There are a couple of ways to get more instagram followers and likes, some would opt to do follower exchange. Most of them would just buy some at reliable sites i.e. http://www.instalikes.org/followers/