Instagram has said it will allow food orders to be placed through their app in a bid to help local businesses during the UK lockdown.

The photo and video-sharing app said a new 'Action button' could be added to a business or restaurant’s profile, or a 'Food Order sticker' could be added to their Instagram Stories.

People who tap on either prompt will be able to make a purchase through the business’s website.

'Support local businesses'

Instagram said the idea was designed to help businesses struggling with the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis by allowing people to support local food outlets.

The scheme was launched in the US and Canada last week and has been expanded to the UK as part of a worldwide rollout.

What has Instagram said?

Last week, a spokesperson from the social media platform said: “For many businesses right now, every sale helps. We’ll continue to work on features that make it easier to support the small businesses you care about.”

Instagram’s update comes after another Facebook-owned platform, WhatsApp, released a new set of stickers designed to help people communicate about aspects of the pandemic.

The stickers, developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation, were created to help users more accurately communicate the thoughts and feelings of being in lockdown.