Some say, this move will at least prevent the user leakage from Instagram to Snapchat. Though counterintuitive, there is another way to look at it — Instagram moving into Stories could be a blessing in disguise for Snapchat.

Instagram could make “Stories” mainstream — take it to the broader audience, and make them more comfortable with the concept. Snapchat is already trying to, and has succeeded to some extent, expand its target audience beyond teens, and familiarity with the concept and usage of ad-hoc, raw stories will help its get the adoption without much “I don’t understand Snapchat” choir.