Popular photo sharing platform Instagram has silently rolled out "Recommended for You" section in news feed for its iOS and Android platform.
Instagram will now recommend posts in the news feed based on those that have been liked by other accounts you follow. This is somewhat similar to what you find on Facebook's newsfeed. Prior to the update, Instagram used to have recommended posts in the Explore section, but it didn't appear in the main news feed. However now they will start showing up on news feed even if you hate it.
The addition of recommended content is a big change for Instagram's feed. Now when you scroll through the home feed you will not only see posts from the accounts you follow alongside ads, but also suggested posts from a wider network.
The Recommended for You section contains three to five suggested posts, and will start appearing after you’ve viewed all the posts in your feed.
Also you'll not be able to disable suggested posts, but you can choose to temporarily hide the Recommend for You section by tapping the three-dot menu above the post, then selecting 'Hide'.
The latest addition comes soon after Instagram introduced follow hashtags features. This feature lets you follow a hashtag, and get all the updates relating to that hashtag directly to your feed making it easier to find posts about the topics you like.
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Over the past couple weeks, Instagram added follow hashtag, highlight/archives stories features, new superzoom effects and holidays-inspired face filters and stickers to its platform. Now it is rolling out a new feature that will let you share live videos or a live video you're watching with friends through direct messages.
Now when you're live just tap the Direct icon at the bottom of the screen and send your live video to friends. This option will also be available when you're going live with a friend as well. Once sent, your friend will see the live video in their Direct Inbox. They can only view you video if you're currently live, and once the session is over, your friend will see a message saying the video has ended.
You can also disable the option to send your live videos in Direct via stories settings, and if your account is set to private, only your followers can view your live video. In addition, as a viewer, you can also send a live video to a friend in Direct the same way. While watching a live video, tap the Direct icon and choose who you want to send it to.
This feature is available as part of Instagram version 26, and is available for iOS in the Apple App Store and for Android in Google Play.
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Just in time for the holidays, Instagram has rolled out new superzoom effects, face filters and stickers to its platform. The new update arrives just days after the follow hashtags function.
The Superzoom feature was added to Instagram's camera during Halloween update, and allowed you to record short videos with dramatic zooming and sound effects. The updated app gets new zoom and sound effects like Bounce, Beats, and TV show. You can apply any of these effects by tapping the music icon in the Superzoom camera mode.
The update also adds three new filters to get into the festive spirit such as balloons bursting with confetti, holiday makeup and snow-frosted glass. To use these face filters, open the Instagram camera and tap the face icon in the bottom right corner.
Lastly, Instagram gets new holiday themed stickers for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza, as well as seasonal stickers. In addition users can find their favorite stickers and emojis by searching them using keywords in English.
These updates are part of Instagram of version number 26 and will roll out in the coming days for Android and iOS.
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Instagram was reportedly testing follow hashtag feature on its platform. And now it has officially added the feature.
According to Instagram millions of people share photos and videos and tag them with relevant hashtags, for instance #slime, #onethetable. The follow hashtag feature is said to make these posts more discoverable.
Following a hashtag is just like following a friend's Instagram account. To get started search for a topic you're interested in or tap on a hashtag from any post. You'll see relevant hashtags displayed in your search results along with related accounts. When you find a hastag you like, open the hashtag page and tap on the follow button. Once done, you'll see top posts from the related hashtag in your feed and some of the latest stories in your stories bar. You can also unfollow a hashtag at any time.
To explore more hashtags, Instagram is also letting you check out the hashtags, other people follow in their profiles. In case you set your account to private, the hashtags you follow will only be visible to your followers.
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Facebook owned popular photo-sharing platform Instagram is working on a standalone app called Direct for private messages, which will replace the current messaging features from the main app.
Earlier in 2014, Facebook separated the main app from the messaging platform and released Messenger. At that time Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said "On mobile, each app can only focus on doing one thing well". Now Facebook is taking the same route for Instagram as well.
The Direct app's interface is very similar to Snapchat as it opens the camera. The app will be available for Android and iOS devices, and once you install it, the inbox will disappear from the main Instagram app, and can only be accessed in Direct messaging app.
“Direct has grown within Instagram over the past four years, but we can make it even better if it stands on its own. We can push the boundaries to create the fastest and most creative space for private sharing when Direct is a camera-first, standalone app.” said Hemal Shah, an Instagram product manager.
The app consists of three screens, and it opens to the camera interface. To the left of the camera is the profile screen that lets you access settings, switch accounts and navigate to various corners of Instagram. To the right is the inbox for messages. It also offers four exclusive filters, that are not available in the main Instagram app.
The Direct app is currently available in six countries as a preview: Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and Uruguay. It is not known if the app will be available for other countries, but if it goes global, parent company Facebook is offering a third popular messaging service alongside Messenger and WhatsApp.
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Popular photo-sharing platform Instagram is getting two new features: Stories Highlights and Stories Archive. The highlights is a new part of your Instagram profile where you can group the old stories you have shared, while Stories Archive will automatically save your expired stories into a private archive, so you can view then later or create Highlights.
Moving forward, your stories will automatically save to your archive when they expire after 24 hours. To access stories in your archive tap the Archive icon on your profile. From there, switch to Stories Archive, and your old stories will appear in a grid format with the most recent stories at the bottom.
The first story from each day will show a date indicator to help you navigate your archive as you scroll. Tap on any story in your archive to watch it. Only you can see your archived stories, and you can choose to turn off auto-archiving at any time in your profile settings.
Stories Archive will make it easy for you to revisit your favorite moments later on and bring them back info life the form of Highlight, which will appear in a new section on your profile below your bio.
To create a highlight, tap the 'New' circle at the far left, and from there you can choose any stories from your archive. Then select a cover for your highlight and give it a name.. Once you're done, your highlight will appear as a circle on your profile that plays a stand-alone story when someone taps it.
You can have as many highlights as you'd like on your profile as will as remove them. To edit or remove a highlight, just tap and hold that highlight on your profile.
The new features are available as part of Instagram version 25 on iOS and Android.
Instagram has been adding new features to its platform every now and then for making interaction fun between friends. However, According to the Next Web popular photo-sharing service is said to be secretly testing a handful of new features such as Regram button, GIF search for stories and more that will make its way to the platform soon.
The dedicated Regram button for Instagram is what Retweet is for Twiiter and Share for Facebook, that allows a user to re-share favorite post from other users on their time timeline. Similary, Regram will let you share a post be it photo or video that someone you're following has shared. At present, for re-sharing, users either have to save the image or video to their device, and re-share it from their own account or by using third-party apps.
Next is the GIF Search function for Stories, which will allow you to search for and add GIFs to your Stories or regular posts. It appears that Instagram will source GIF from Giphy.
Another feature coming to Instagram, is one that allows you to save your stories in a personal archive, and it appears that the test version may allow users to save their stories longer than 24 hours.
Instagram is also testing a favorite friends-type feature that allows you to add your closest friends to a select group and you can share content with them. However, you close friend won't get notification when you add them, but when someone post within the group shares a new posting using the group participants will be notified.
Other feature that will make it way to Instagram in the near future are listed below
- Share posts or profiles to WhatsApp
- Top emoji and hashtags quick search option
- A new follow hashtag feature
- Emoji shortcut words for things like ‘CONGRATULATIONS’
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Instagram has updated it Android and iOS app to add a new feature called 'Remix' to have fun with photos. The feature lets you edit and customize your friends photo in Direct with doodles and text, and send it back to them within another photo of yourself.
Now when you're viewing a photo message from a friend, tap on the camera icon at the bottom and capture a reply. The reply will include a sticker of the image you're replying to. The sticker can be moved and resized, and customized with stickers, text and drawings on top. Once done you can send the reply.
You also get the option to remix the photos and send them back and forth to the friend who sent it for a fun visual of your conversation.
You can even control the replays. Choose 'One View' for message you want your friends to only see once. For everything else choose 'Allow Replay' so your friends have more time to view your messages. The photos and videos sent with 'Allow Replay', loop automatically and your friends can tap and hold to pause.
These updates are available as part of Instagram version 24 for iOS and version 24 on Android.
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In the latest update, Instagram is getting a new feature that will make it easier for you to go live with friends. Starting today, when you're friend is live on Instagram, you can join the session by sending a request.
When watching a friend's live video, simply tap the "Request" button in the comments section, and once the request is sent, you'll will get a confirmation if he/she accepts the request. Once you're live with your friend, the screen will split in half, and you can also leave your friend's live video session at any time.
If you're the host of the live video, you will see requests from friends who want to join in. The request will be shown as notification in the comments section. Tap the "View" button to see the request and then you can choose to add the friend or cancel the request.
There's also a new icon with two smiley faces that will have a red number showing how many requests you have. Tapping the icon, will show you the requests and current viewers, and you can invite any user to join the live session.
Once the live session is over, like always you can either share the video to stories or choose to "Discard", and it will disappear from the app.
These updates are available as part of Instagram version 24 available for iOS in the Apple App Store and for Android in Google Play.
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Instagram is bringing few of its mobile app feature to the mobile web platform. Users will now be able to create Stories and save posts when accessing Instagram through web browser via smartphone.
The Stories feature was introduced to mobile web back in September, and users could only watch the stories. But now you'll be able to create Stories and post them for mobile web.
Similar to the mobile app, the mobile web now gets a camera icon, which is located at the top left of your feed. You can tap on it to take a photo, or add a photo from your library. You will also be able to add text and change text color. Once you're done, you can post it to your story by tapping "Share to Your Story".
Do note that video sharing feature and tools such as face filters and stickers are not supported on mobile web. Also, you can't upload stories from desktop yet.
Next up, with the mobile web version you'll now be able to save your favorite posts to revisit it later. To access the saved post tap on the bookmark icon present in the top right corner of the page.
The latest update will be available for Android and iOS platforms as part of Instagram version 22.
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With the latest update, Instagram is removing the 24-hour limit on Stories. Previously, on Stories, you were not able to upload photos and video from the camera roll that you took in last 24 hours.
That said, now the restriction has been removed and from today you can post photos and video taken more than 24 hours ago on Instagram stories.
Like always, swipe up from the camera to open your camera roll or tap the gallery icon. Scroll to choose the photo and video you want to share, and then tap select.
If you choose a photo or video that’s more than 24 hours old, a sticker will be added automatically, that helps you add context for when it was taken. As with all stickers, you can rotate, resize or remove the date sticker from your story before you share.
The update is available as part of Instagram version 22 for iOS and version 18 on Android.
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Just in time for Halloween, Facebook owned popular photo sharing platform Instagram has added new creative tools, so that you can share spooky contents with your friends. These include a new camera format called "Superzoom" and Halloween-inspired face filters and stickers.
Superzoom is an easy way to record funny video with dramatic zooming effect with sounds. To use this tool, open the camera, and you'll see "Superzoom" option next to "Boomerang" under the record button. Tap Superzoom followed by record to automatically zoom in and record with suspenseful music.
You can make Superzoom of of anything -- "your selfie, your friend's goofy face or even your half-eaten sandwich". The video can also be sent to your friends on Instagram direct or added to your story.
The Halloween face filters and stickers in the camera will be available through November 1. So you can get into the Halloween spirit by turning yourself into a zombie, transforming from a vampire into a fly bat or getting lost in the mysterious fog and more. You can also add Halloween stickers to your photos and videos as final touch.
These updates are available as part of Instagram version 20.0 for iOS in the Apple App Store and for Android in Google Play.
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Instagram added live video feature to its platform back in 2016, and since then has been rolling out new feature to improve the Live experience. The latest update to the popular Facebook-owned photo sharing service brings a fun way to go live with a friend. Now when you're Live on Instagram, you'll get an option to add friends who are watching your live broadcast.
To get started, simply tap the new icon on the bottom right and tap "Add" to invite anyone who's currently watching. Once they join, you'll see the screen split into two and your friend's Live video window pop up below you.
You can even remove your friend and add some else at any time while you are live, or they can choose to exit on their own. Once the broadcast is over, you can either share the live video to stories, or choose to Discard and it will disappear from the app.
When someone you follow is going live with a friend, you'll see two circles stacked together in the stories bar. You can tap on it to watch, and like and comment as you follow along.
These updates are available as part of Instagram version 20 available for iOS in the Apple App Store and for Android in Google Play.
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Instagram is adding a new feature to its app, that will make Stories a little more interactive. The popular photo-sharing platform is rolling out interactive poll sticker for stories, that lets you ask a question and see results from your friends and followers as they vote.
Adding polls on a photo is similar to adding stickers. Once you've taken a photo or video for your story, select the 'poll' sticker and place it anywhere on the photo in your story. You will then get the option to create your own questions and customize the poll choices.
After you've shared your poll, your friend and followers can immediately start voting and see real-time results. Once someone has voted on your poll, they'll also be able to see which choice is leading at any given moment.
To see the poll results, swipe up to open the viewers list for that photo or video on your story, and you'll see how many votes each option received, who voted and what options they chose. And just like your story, your poll and its results will disappear after 24 hours.
Along with the new interactive polling stickers, Instagram is all also adding two new tools for Stories to make them more creative – a color picker for text and brushes and an alignment tool for text and stickers.
For the text and brushes color picker, now you'll see a new eyedropper icon at the far left, which can be used to select any color from your photo or video and apply it to your text and drawing tool.
Lastly, the alignment tool (available only on iOS) will help you place the text or sticker on your photo and video, in such a way that they don't get covered up when some watches your story. While positioning the text or sticker, a blue line will appear so that you can center it. Also, when you rotate text or a sticker, new guides will help you snap your sticker back to horizontal.
The updates are available as part of Instagram version 17 and above in Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
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Instagram is adding a new feature to its platform that will let you add face filters while sharing live video broadcasts through the app.
To add face filters in live video, tap on the face icon at the bottom right corner before or during the live broadcast. Then choose the filter you like and it will be added to the broadcast.
All existing 15 face filters that are available for video and images are now available for live video broadcast as well. In addition a new "sunglasses" face filter will be available in live video next week. You can also change the scenery reflected in your lenses by tapping on it.
Once the live broadcast ends, you will have the option to share a replay to stories, or choose "discard", and the live video will disappear from the app.
Instagram says face filters in live video will roll out globally in the "next several weeks".
Facebook-owned Instagram has come out with a new fun and creative way to reply with photos and videos with your friends via direct messaging.
Now you can reply with a photo or video to specific photos, videos and reshared posts in Direct. And Instagram will automatically turn the photo you are replying into a sticker. You just have to hit 'reply' to open the camera, take a selfie and send.
Moreover, now you also have the option to send a split-screen reply (includes part of both original post and your image) by tapping on the sticker. You can also resize the sticker, draw on it, write text or add effects. These new features are available as part of Instagram v10.34 and above for iOS and Android.
Additionally, a few days back, Instagram added Comment Threads to its comment section, that makes it easy to follow conversation. Just like Facebook, you can now reply to individual comments, instead of making a general comment on a photo. When you hit reply underneath any comment, your response will automatically be grouped right underneath it in a thread. This feature will roll out in the coming days.
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Instagram has added new features to its app which gives users more control over their accounts. Users will now be able to turn off comments on specific posts and have the ability to remove followers from private accounts.
First, the Comment Control feature will be useful for users who receive offensive and abusive comments. This feature lets you turn off comments on any post. In order to do so, you will have to tap "Advanced Settings" before you post and then select "Turn Off commenting". You can even turn it back on anytime.
Additionally, Instagram will now lets users to like comments by tapping a heart icon next to any comment. Instagram says that this will let users show ‘support and encourage positivity’ in the community.
Next, users will have the ability to remove followers from private accounts. If you have a private account go to list of followers and tap the menu button next to any person's name to remove as follower. The person will not be notified when you have removed them as a follower.
Lastly, there's the Anonymous Reporting for Self-Injury posts. If you find someone you care about, may be considering to injure themselves, you can report it anonymously, and Instagram will connect that person to organizations that offer help. Instagram says they have teams working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, around the world to review these reports.
All these new features will roll-out in the coming weeks.
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Instagram is announcing two new features on their next update, which makes it more like Snapchat, including live video broadcasts in Stories and disappearing images and videos in direct messages.
To start a live video broadcast, you will have to press Start Live Video button (swipe right from feed to open camera), and your followers will get a notification when you go live so they can tune in. The interface also has the option for live comments as well.
Instagram users will also be able to send photo and videos for both groups and friends via Instagram Direct, which will disappear once, the group/individual friends sees it. You'll also know if the media content you shared was replayed or screen-captured just like in Snapchat.
Disappearing photos and video in Instagram Direct is now rolling out to everyone, whereas, Live Video on Instagram Stories will roll out globally in the next few weeks.
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Facebook-owned photo sharing app Instagram has introduced a new feature called Instagram stories which lets you share photos and videos that have a life span of no more than 24 hours with friends. The feature bears a striking resemblance to Snapchat Stories, where the stories lasts for 24 hours before disappearing.
With Instagram Stories, you can share unlimited photos and videos, which appears together in a slideshow format. Similar to Snapchat, you can doodle on your photo, add text and emojis before sharing them. Any Stories you share on Instagram will disappear after no more than 24 hours, and will no appear in your profile.
Stories from friends that you follow will appear at the top of your feed. You can view Stories from your friends by tapping on their profile photo. If there's a Story, you haven't viewed, a colored ring will appear around the person's profile photo.
Unlike regular posts, you cannot likes or comment on Stories, instead you'll have to send the person a Direct Message. If your account is set to private, your Stories will only be visible to your followers. You can even control stories by hiding them from select followers.
Instagram Stories is now available for Android and iOS users.
Popular photo sharing platform Instagram has announced that it will add text translation feature on its app, that will be available next month. Once activated, you'll see a "See Translation" button that automatically translates captions and comments on posts in Feed or profile bios to the language you prefer.
Initially 24 languages will be supported, but Instagram has not revealed a specific time frame on when its going to roll out the feature next month. However, the tranlations won't be available for older posts and comments.
The translation feature will bring Instagram in line with other social networking platform such as Twitter and Facebook, that already allows for translation.
Meanwhile, Instagram earlier this week announced that it has more than 500 million monthly users, and 300 daily active users.
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