By MacRumors Staff
Instagram How Tos
How to Group Video Chat With Up to 50 Instagram Users
Instagram has been updated to allow users to create group video chats with up to 50 people on the social platform, thanks to an integration with Facebook's recently announced Messenger Rooms feature.
Facebook unveiled Messenger Rooms as an alternative to Zoom and Group FaceTime last month, releasing it to a small trial group of users. Facebook said part of its plan was to extend the capability ...
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How to Secure Your Instagram Account With Two-Factor Authentication
With social media account hacking becoming increasingly more widespread, users would do well to make sure they're taking every security measure available to them. That goes doubly for frequenters of Facebook-owned Instagram, where account hijacking in particular is a recurring problem.
One of the best ways to protect any online account is by using two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA offers...
Instagram Articles
Facebook Acquires GIF-Sharing and Creation Platform GIPHY for $400M
Facebook today announced that it has acquired the popular GIF sharing platform GIPHY, and it will be joining the Instagram team. Instagram has supported GIPHY search in Stories for years now, but Facebook said it will "further integrate" the platform's GIF library into Instagram and other Facebook apps.
The sum of the GIPHY acquisition by Facebook is reportedly around $400 million, according...
Instagram Adds New Options for Bulk Deleting Comments and Controlling Who Can Tag and Mention You
Instagram has rolled out some new features that aim to prevent online bullying and other unwanted interactions on the social media platform. These features include the ability to control who can tag or mention you in comments, captions and Stories, and the ability to delete comments in bulk.
When it comes to who can mention and tag you in content, you can choose Everyone, Only People You...
Facebook Testing Cross-Posting Stories to Instagram
Facebook is testing a new feature that would allow Facebook Stories to be cross-posted to Instagram Stories, reports TechCrunch.
Right now, Instagram Stories can be shared to Facebook Stories, but the reverse is not possible. The new option would allow Stories to be shared interchangeably from one platform to another.
Jane Manchun Wong, who often digs into unreleased features in social...
Instagram CEO Says iPad App Hasn't Been Made Yet Because 'We Only Have So Many People, and Lots to Do'
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri took to the platform over the weekend to answer a few user questions on his story, shared by The Verge's Chris Welch. Among the many things asked, the topic of an official iPad app for Instagram was brought up, and Mosseri explained why we haven't seen one yet.
According to Mosseri, the company "would like to build an iPad app" for Instagram, "But we only have so...
Instagram Removes IGTV Button From Home Screen Following Lack of User Engagement
Instagram is dropping the IGTV button from the top-right corner of the app's home screen because not enough people are interacting with it.
First launched in June 2018, IGTV is Instagram's long-form video streaming service that's designed to compete with youtube. IGTV focuses on full-screen vertical video, with the ability to interact with other users while watching videos.
The...
Instagram Bringing Direct Messages to the Web
Starting today, Instagram is bringing direct messaging options to the web. As noted by The Verge, a small number of Instagram's global users can access their direct messages from the Instagram website in addition to the iPhone app.
The rollout today to a limited number of customers is just a test, though depending on how it goes a wider rollout could come in the future.
Direct messaging...
Instagram to Start Hiding 'Likes' in the US This Week
Instagram is to begin testing hiding content "likes" in the United States this week. The change will first be rolled out to a limited number of accounts in the U.S., and users of those accounts will still be able to see how many likes they got on their own posts.
The plan was announced at WIRED25 by head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, who also took to Twitter to share the news.
"It's about young ...
Instagram Gains Support for iOS 13's Dark Mode
Popular social networking app Instagram was today updated to add Dark Mode support for iOS 13, introducing a darker theme that activates when Dark Mode is turned on.
The new Dark Mode option is available throughout the app, from viewing the main feed to browsing to the profile. Dark Mode can be accessed by activating Dark Mode on an iPhone running the iOS 13 update.
To get Dark ...
US, UK, and Australia Urge Zuckerberg Not to Extend Encrypted Messaging to Facebook and Instagram
U.S., U.K., and Australian officials have contacted Facebook to request that it provides authorities with a way to access encrypted messages sent by users over the social network, it was revealed today.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp already uses end-to-end encryption to ensure only senders and recipients can read messages, but Facebook intends to extend the same protocols to its Messenger and...
Instagram is Developing Another Direct Messaging App to Rival Snapchat
Facebook is said to be working on another messaging app called "Threads" that would act as a companion to the main Instagram app, reports The Verge.
Despite the demise of its standalone "Direct" messaging app, the social media company still appears intent on challenging Snapchat with the development of a rival platform. To that end, Threads would promote "constant, intimate sharing between...
Instagram Website Flaw Exposed Users' Phone Numbers and Email Addresses
A security researcher found a flaw in Instagram's website that caused thousands of users' email addresses and phone numbers to be exposed online for several weeks, it was revealed on Thursday.
David Stier, a data scientist and business consultant, told CNET the website source code for some Instagram user profiles included the account holder's contact information whenever it loaded in a web...
Contact Info for Millions of Instagram Influencers, Celebrities, and Brand Accounts Leaked Online
A database that contained contact information for millions of Instagram influencers, celebrities, and brand accounts was recently leaked online, reports TechCrunch.
The database, which was hosted by Amazon Web Services and contains more than 49 million records, was accessible without a password or other credentials according to the security researcher who informed TechCrunch about the leak.
...
Instagram to Scrap Standalone 'Direct' Messaging App
Direct for Instagram, the companion direct messaging app for the photo-sharing social media platform, is being killed off by Instagram in the next few weeks.
First spotted by social media commentator Matt Navarra, this news was delivered to users of Direct for Instagram via an in-app notification, which informed them that the standalone app is "going away" and that their conversations would...
Facebook Co-Founder Calls For 'Break Up' of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp
Recently, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren put forward the idea to reverse certain tech mergers to promote healthy competition in the market, particularly including Facebook and Instagram. In an op-ed shared today by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, that topic is revisited (via The New York Times).
According to Hughes, the Federal Trade Commission's "biggest mistake" was letting...
Instagram Announces New Camera Design and Create Mode, Tests Hiding Likes in Canada
Instagram today announced the upcoming addition of some new features to the social networking app, including an updated camera design and a new Create Mode, aimed at making it easier to share content without a photo or video.
The updated camera design features a wheel with selectable camera modes and effects, along with dedicated sections for live broadcasting and the new Create Mode....
Instagram Could Hide the Like Count on Photos
Instagram has considered hiding the like count on images uploaded to the social network, which would prevent people from seeing how many people have tapped the "heart" icon on each photo.
The feature was found by Jane Manchun Wong, who often hunts down features in testing in Instagram and Twitter. As depicted in an image shown by Wong, the like count on a photo is hidden by default and visible ...
Instagram Launches Checkout Feature to Let Users Store Payment Info for Quick Purchases
Instagram today is rolling out a new shopping feature within its iOS and Android apps, allowing users to complete purchases without having to leave Instagram (via The Verge).
Before the update, shopping links on Instagram opened up a pop-up web window on the retailer's site, which lacked stored payment information and likely caused many people to close the window. Now, Instagram users will be...
Mark Zuckerberg Plans to Make Facebook Messenger, Instagram Messaging, and WhatsApp Interoperable
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is planning to integrate three disparate messaging services -- Facebook Messenger, Instagram messaging, and WhatsApp -- into one "underlying messaging infrastructure" (via The New York Times).
Facebook Messenger These services will continue to operate as their own standalone apps, but the company's work will make them interoperable with one another. This means...
Instagram Denies Limiting the Reach of User Posts
Instagram has moved to address rumors that it actively suppresses the reach of user posts on the social network.
In a statement posted on its official Twitter account, Instagram said that it has not made any recent changes to the way its feed algorithms work and that "we never hide posts from people you're following - if you keep scrolling, you will see them all."
Instagram explained that...
Netflix Debuts New Integration for Sharing Movies and TV Shows in Instagram Stories
Netflix today launched a new Instagram integration that's designed to allow Instagram users to share their favorite movies and TV shows in Stories, reports Variety.
The feature can be used by selecting a title of choice within the Netflix app for iOS devices, tapping on the "Share" icon, and then selecting "Instagram Stories" as an option.
"We're always on the lookout for ways to make it...
