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 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...

Instagram is developing a Usage Insights feature for its social media platform that will let users know how much time they're spending in the app. TechCrunch on Tuesday highlighted code buried in the Android version of Instagram that reveals the new time management controls headed for the app, and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom has since confirmed the features are indeed in development for the...

Fandango today added a "Buy Tickets" button on the company's Instagram profile, letting visitors to the page purchase tickets to films currently in theaters as well as pre-order tickets for unreleased movies (via The Hollywood Reporter). The move is said to be part of an overall push by Instagram into a "shoppable tags" commerce feature, and comes after the social network debuted a native...

WhatsApp for iOS has been updated to support inline Instagram and Facebook video playback, according to the messaging platform's latest release notes. YouTube videos have been playable for some time in WhatsApp, which also offers a Picture-in-Picture mode for continuing to watch while switching between chat threads. However, clicking on an Instagram or Facebook video link kicks users out of...

Instagram has added a native payments feature that's currently available to some Instagram users, reports TechCrunch. The payments feature allows Instagram users to add a credit or debit card to Instagram to make purchases of advertised products and services directly within the Instagram app. Instagram already has a shopping feature through Shoppable tags, but it requires users to access...

At today's F8 developer conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled some new features that are coming soon to Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Instagram's Explore tab will be getting a new look that's more focused on various topics. Facebook also plans to add a new video chat feature to Instagram, allowing two or more people to chat with each other using a FaceTime or...

Instagram today released a new Data Download feature which is designed to let Instagram users download a copy of their photos, videos, stories, profile info, comments, and messages to comply with the European Union's upcoming GDPR privacy law. While the privacy law is only applicable in Europe, Instagram has made the new download tool, accessible here as long as you're signed in to an...

Instagram is working on a new data portability tool that will let you download all of the content that you've shared on the social network, reports TechCrunch. According to an Instagram spokesperson, Instagram users will be able to download photos, videos, and messages using the upcoming tool. Instagram parent company Facebook already offers such a tool on Facebook, allowing you to download ...

Instagram today announced the launch of a new "Focus" mode, which is designed to allow Instagram users to take portrait images with a softly blurred background. The feature is available as a new option next to "Superzoom" when you open up the camera. It can be used with the front or rear-facing cameras, and Instagram says as soon as someone is in the shot, the person will stay in focus while...

Along with multiple privacy-related API changes being made to Facebook, Facebook, which owns Instagram, announced that it has disabled several Instagram Platform APIs as of today, disabling certain Instagram features that are available in third-party Instagram apps. Third-party Instagram apps will no longer be able to use APIs that provide access to follower lists, likes, relationships, and...

Instagram today became the latest company to ditch the Apple Watch, eliminating its Apple Watch app in an update that was released this morning. In a statement given to French site iPhoneAddict, Instagram said the Instagram Apple Watch app was built using the watchOS 1 SDK, which was obsoleted by Apple on April 1. Rather than putting effort into rebuilding the app, Instagram has decided to end ...

Instagram today made a change to user bios, allowing "#" hashtags and "@" links to other Instagram users. Starting today, when you add a @ or a # to your Instagram bio, it will become a live link that leads either to a hashtag page or to another profile. Instagram says it has implemented this change to allow users to better express themselves and their interests in their profiles, adding...

Evidence has emerged that Instagram is planning video calling features for the social media app. TechCrunch has unearthed icons from the Android version of the app that seem to point to the new calling and video calling functions likely destined for Instagram's Direct messaging system. Files named "call" and "video call" with phone and camera icons were dug up in the app's Android...