Instagram

With TikTok in continual ascendency in the social media space, Instagram is constantly adjusting the way its platform works to make it more competitive. However, the Meta-owned network has come under criticism with some of the design and algorithm changes it has tested on the platform, and one of the things that users have voiced displeasure about most is the number of recommendations that appear ...

Meta's Instagram allows you to delete your account from directly within the Instagram app. This article shows you how it's done. To comply with Apple's updated App Store guidelines, Instagram in June 2022 added an option in its app for users to delete their account on the service. Previously it was only possible to delete your Instagram account by logging into a web browser on a desktop...

Most social media networks and chat platforms these days include a feature that shows when a user was last online or last active on the service, which can be either helpful or a hindrance, depending on your personal or business situation. WhatsApp includes an optional "Last Seen" status for the person you're chatting with in a conversation thread, while Instagram tells you how long it was...

Instagram includes several options on the platform that allow users to hide the number of like and view counts on posts. This article explains where to find them and adjust them to your preferences. The new options were originally introduced a few years ago to "depressurize people's experience" on the platform, the Meta-owned social media company said at the time. Instagram said its...

Instagram allows users to create group video calls with up to eight people on the social platform. This article explains how to use it in the Instagram mobile app. The following steps walk you through the process of starting a video call with someone and then adding other people to the call. Launch Instagram and tap the paper airplane icon in the top-right corner to go to the Direct screen....

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 is testing a new way of navigating through posts – by tapping through them, just like users tap through Stories. The new navigation system sees users tapping the sides of the screen instead of scrolling up and down with their finger to advance forwards and backwards between posts, which can get tiring after a while. By eliminating thumb swipe fatigue and ensuring the full post ...

Facebook-owned social network Instagram is testing a feature that would allow location data collected by Instagram to be shared with Facebook, reports TechCrunch. A prototype Location History feature being tested within Instagram suggests that Location History data collected when Location Services is turned on in the Instagram app will be used to bolster Facebook's ad targeting. From the...

Instagram today debuted a new feature called "Nametag," which is a customizable identification card that's designed to allow people to easily find your Instagram profile when it's scanned. The Nametag feature makes it simpler for people who you meet in real life to follow you on Instagram. You can set up your Nametag by going to your profile, tapping the hamburger button at the top, and...

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have left Facebook, explaining in a statement this week that they are taking some time off to "explore our curiosity and creativity again." According to people familiar with the matter speaking to Bloomberg, Systrom and Krieger are leaving due to growing tensions with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom at Instagram ...

Instagram today announced two major updates to the shopping feature in the Instagram app that's designed to allow users to make purchases directly from Instagram. Shopping within Stories, a feature that began rolling out in June, is expanding to businesses across 46 countries. When watching Stories from brands, items that are featured can be tapped so you can learn more about them....

Instagram is testing a new feature that allows users to tag friends in videos (via TechCrunch). The option uses the same icon that users normally tap at the bottom left of tagged photos, but instead of overlaying the content with tagged names, the button links to a separate page listing all the people tagged in the video. The new page, titled "People in this Video", also lists users that the...

Instagram has added an emoji shortcut bar to its mobile app that places the user's most-used emojis above the keyboard whenever they start to comment on a post (via The Verge). The new emoji bar doesn't appear on other occasions in the app that call for the use of the onscreen keyboard, such as when a user creates a post or comments on a Story. Instagram has obviously identified post...

The New York Public Library today launched a new initiative it's calling "Insta Novels," in which it will post classic novels and short stories as Instagram Stories. You won't need a NYPL card or have to live nearby to gain access to Insta Novels as the feature will be available to anyone who has an Instagram account (via The Wall Street Journal). To start off, the library is offering Lewis...

Earlier in the summer, Facebook and Instagram each promised that users would soon be able to access a suite of digital health tools to help them manage their time on the social networks and promote healthier habits. Today, the companies revealed these tools in a press release and confirmed they will be rolling out to all mobile app users "soon." The tools will be found within the settings...

Instagram today announced the launch of a new feature that's designed to let you know when your friends are active on the social network. When a friend is online, their profile picture will be accented with a green dot in various places within the app. You'll see the green dot in the Direct inbox and in your friends list when you share a post from the feed. Dots will be displayed for friends...

Instagram is planning to introduce a new two-factor authentication method that will not require a user's phone number and will instead work with authentication apps like Google Authenticator, reports TechCrunch. Authentication apps are a safer two-factor option than the phone number method, which can be bypassed through SIM hacking, as outlined earlier today by VICE's Motherboard. Image via ...

Instagram today launched a new "You're All Caught Up" feature, which is designed to let users know when they've viewed all new posts from the last 48 hours. Instagram has not used a chronological feed for several years now and it can be difficult to tell when all content has been viewed, something the new feature, which has been in testing since mid-May, should fix. Today, you'll start...

Instagram today updated its Stories feature with the ability to add a soundtrack for background music, with Instagram offering thousands of popular songs to choose from. You can add music to Stories by tapping to add a sticker and then choosing the new "Music" sticker that's available in the list alongside other stickers like Location, Mention, Hashtag, and more. Tapping on the Music...

Instagram today implemented several new features that were first previewed and announced at Facebook's F8 developer conference in May, including a redesigned Explore tab, new camera effects, and a group video chatting feature. Instagram's new video chat option, which is a feature that's designed to rival offerings like Skype and FaceTime, can be accessed via Instagram Direct, and it allows for ...

Instagram today announced the launch of IGTV, a new video streaming service that's designed to compete with YouTube. The news was shared during a live broadcast from Instagram's headquarters in San Francisco. With the launch of IGTV, which is mobile first and built with smartphones in mind, content creators on Instagram can now upload videos that are as long as one hour to Instagram, up from a ...

Instagram today announced that it is expanding its shopping feature beyond the news feed to Instagram Stories. When viewing Instagram Stories from brands, stickers with a shopping bag icon can be tapped and will provide more details about the product along with purchase options. Instagram has previously allowed users to view product information and make purchases through brand posts in...

Instagram is gearing up to launch a hub for "longer-form video," according to multiple sources speaking with TechCrunch, in an effort to continue its competition with Snapchat and the "Discover" tab, as well as YouTube. The dedicated space will feature scripted shows, music videos, and more, which will all be vertically shot and viewable in full-screen 4K on compatible smartphones. The...

Instagram today announced the ability for you to mute accounts in your feed, so that you can hide posts from people or brands you may not want to see anymore without needing to unfollow them completely. Instagram says that the change is another update to make your feed "even more personalized to what matters to you." Account muting will be in the ellipsis menu at the top right of each post,...

Instagram has not used a chronological feed for years now, making it difficult to determine when you've seen all of the new content on the social network. Instagram may be planning to fix this issue with a new "You're All Caught Up" feature that's designed to notify users when all unseen posts from the last 48 hours have been viewed. The feature was first noticed by TechCrunch, and an...

Instagram today added a feature that's designed to let users share posts from their accounts and public accounts that they follow directly to their story feed as a sticker. Today, we're introducing a new way to easily share feed posts to your story. When you come across something in feed that inspires you -- like a post from a friend raising money for a cause or a photo of a new design...