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 has announced that it is developing a text translation feature for its flagship app that will roll out in the coming month. Once live, users will see a new "See Translation" button beneath photos and user profiles which will automatically translate comments, captions, and bios into the language chosen in the app's settings. The machine translation feature will support 24...

A minor Instagram update released this morning lists only bug fixes in the description, but has quietly added a long overdue feature - a share sheet extension. With the new version of Instagram, it's possible to use the "share" feature in Photos or another app that supports share extensions to upload content directly to Instagram without needing to open the Instagram app. When viewing images...

Last November, Instagram announced much stricter rules for accessing its API, effectively putting an end to dozens of both legitimate and questionable third-party apps and websites that integrated with the photo sharing service on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices. Instagram began reviewing new and existing apps before granting full API access starting December 3, 2015, but the changes for...

Instagram has been updated today with an all-new colorful icon, moving away from its iconic brown and beige logo that still had an iOS 6-style skeuomorphic design, long after many popular developers have since adopted flatter aesthetics. "Today we're introducing a new look," the company wrote in a blog post. "You'll see an updated icon and app design for Instagram. Inspired by the previous app ...

Instagram has selected a group of users to test a version of its app with an overhauled design, which can be seen in a series of screenshots sent to MacRumors by reader Sebastien. Unlike the previous Instagram design, which utilizes a white feed bookended by blue and black borders and blue accents, the new design features a more monochromatic look. The new color scheme appears to be part of...

Instagram today updated its built-in "Explore" feature with a revamped look and new content that includes dedicated video channels. A personalized channel called "Videos You Might Like" aggregates videos from around the world, and Instagram's Explore grid, designed to let users find content built around hashtags, events, and specific locations, will also include some featured channels focused...

Instagram today announced plans to increase the maximum length of videos uploaded to the social network from 15 seconds to 60 seconds, giving iOS users an opportunity to upload and share much longer videos.We want to bring you fun, flexible and creative ways to create and watch video on Instagram. As part of our continued commitment, you'll soon have the flexibility to tell your story in up to 60 ...

Last November, a malicious app called InstaAgent was caught storing the usernames and passwords of Instagram users, sending them to a suspicious remote server. After the app's activities came to light, Apple removed it from the App Store, but it now appears Turker Bayram, the developer behind the app has managed to get two new apps approved by Apple, (and Google) both of which are stealing...

Instagram today announced that it will introduce a new algorithm-based feed in the coming months, shifting from its current chronological-based feed. The move follows Twitter's announcement that it was moving to an algorithm-based feed. Instagram parent company Facebook has used an algorithm-based news feed for years. You may be surprised to learn that people miss on average 70 percent of their...

Following a testing phase that started in late last year, Instagram today started rolling out two-factor authentication to its users, reports TechCrunch With two-factor authentication, Instagram accounts will have another layer of security to keep them safe from hacking attempts. Instagram's two-factor authentication allows users to establish a verified phone number, which will be used to...

Following the recent discovery that malicious app InstaAgent was stealing Instagram passwords from users, Instagram has instituted much stricter rules for accessing its API, effectively killing off a large number of apps that read Instagram feeds. In a notice posted today on its developer site, Instagram explains it will no longer permit apps that access the Instagram feed API, as that API is...

InstaAgent, an app that connects to Instagram and promises to track the people that have visited a user's Instagram account, appears to be storing the usernames and passwords of Instagram users, sending them to a suspicious remote server. An app developer from Peppersoft downloaded InstaAgent -- full name "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" -- and discovered it's reading Instagram account...

Instagram has begun testing various ads that will allow users to shop for everything from clothing to menu items at local restaurants, integrating new iPhone features like 3D Touch and Apple Pay as well (via Digiday). The social network has had ads appear in users' feeds for a while now, but hopes that more unobtrusive shopping experiences that keep users in the app itself will attract bigger...

Instagram today announced a major update to the Instagram Direct feature that it first introduced in 2013, allowing users to send threaded messages and content from their feeds through the private messaging function. Prior to today, Instagram Direct could only be used to send a single photo privately to a friend or a group of friends, where it could be commented on away from the public eye....

Instagram today announced that the popular app would begin letting users post photos and videos in both portrait and landscape modes, expanding upon the all-inclusive square format for which the service is well-known. The company notes it discovered that nearly one in five posts aren't in the square format, so today's decision comes from its mission statement of putting each user's "visual story" ...

Instagram has offered access to images uploaded to the Instagram iOS app on the web for several years now, and as of today, the site's gained a new highly desired feature - search. Prior to today, Instagram users could not search for content on the Instagram website, with search being limited to the company's apps. With the new website search feature that's rolling out today, it's possible to...

Instagram today began rolling out a small but noteworthy update to its iOS application, namely focusing on expanding and deepening the features of the "Explore" tab inside the app. The first feature focuses on showcasing trending topics and places, with "dynamically updated content" that promises to give each user a real-time look at events and pictures happening nearby. Users will also be...

Instagram for iOS received a major update today, adding three new filters to the app: Lark, Reyes, and Juno. Lark brightens up images and adds purple tones, while Reyes adds a vintage-looking fade with yellow tones. Juno is the boldest of the three new filters, brightening images and bumping up the contrast for a more stylized look. Today's three new filters come four months after Instagram...