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...

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 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 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...

Instagram is rolling out a new feature that allows posting content to multiple accounts at the same time. The social network confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature is now rolling out to all users of its iOS app: An Instagram spokesperson confirms this option is becoming available to all iOS users, telling TechCrunch, "We are rolling out this feature to provide a better experience for people...

Instagram recently tested a new way for users to browse their feeds, with a feed that scrolled horizontally instead of one that scrolled vertically. This test hit enough users around the world to get "Instagram Update" and "#NewInstagram" trending on Twitter (via The Independent), but Matt Navarra has confirmed that it was just a test that was meant for a "very small" group of individuals....

Multiple reports are coming in that Instagram has lost support for iPhone XR and XS Max screen resolutions in the latest update to its iOS app. The issue has been highlighted on Reddit and Twitter after Instagram users updated to the latest version (75.0), which was pushed to the App Store on Wednesday. Instagram v74.0 (left) versus v75.0 (Image via @Wsig) The resulting effect is that the ...

Instagram today announced the launch of a new Stories feature called "Close Friends" that allows you to share stories with a select group of people rather than all your followers. Starting today, you can make a close friends list on Stories and share with just the people you've added. Instagram Stories has become the place to express yourself and share everyday moments, but our community has...

Instagram says it is testing new layout designs for user profiles over the next few weeks that will make them easier to use and better at helping people connect with each other on the social network. The company announced the upcoming changes on its official blog, explaining that it would experiment in phases with various profile combinations and listen to user feedback: Over the next...

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...