Instagram News & Updates

[rahul1117kumar]

Instagram has rolled out a new feature that will allow users to save their edited pictures in ‘drafts’ to use them later. Instagram’s drafts option is now available for Android and iOS users, without an update. The photo-sharing platform tweeted about the same from its official handle. “Trying to create a post that’s just right? With the latest update, you can save as a draft & come back to it later,” it said.

Instagram’s ‘Save Draft’ option only appears after you’ve edited a post, tagged people and added caption or location. To use the feature, first upload a photo or video. Next, add effects, caption, location, tags etc. Now, go back a step to where you had added filters to your media. Click the back arrow on the top left corner, and Instagram will show you two options – Discard and Save Draft. Choose the ‘Save Draft’ option to save your photos to upload them later.

“To see posts you’ve saved as a draft, tap the small Instagram icon in the app and then tap Library. Posts will appear at the bottom of the screen below Drafts,” explains Instagram Help Page. The feature will come in handy for when users decide to upload pictures or videos later.

Facebook -owned Instagram has been actively updating its platform to make it more engaging. The photo-sharing app has close to 500 million monthly users. It recently introduced Snapchat-like Stories, which disappear in 24 hours. Instagram is looking at videos as the next big thing, and is working on new features for its Channels section.

According to reports, Instagram is redesigning its upcoming iOS app to take advantage of iPhone 7 camera capabilities and will add new filters and GIF features.

http://indianexpress.com/article/te...s-option-for-android-ios-is-now-live-3044356/

 

[rahul1117kumar]

Borrowing from its parent company Facebook’s repertoire, Instagram may soon be receiving a live video feature as well. According to a Russian publication, T Journal, a new experimental Instagram feature has been spotted in the country. Some users could see an icon next to the Instagram stories, which was marked as ‘Live’. Additionally, the publication also shares a screenshot of the feature, which said ‘Go Insta’ at the bottom of the screen. Presumably, that would be the name of the new feature, and tapping on the ‘Go Insta’ bar at the bottom of the screen would allow users to go live. Instagram has not officially announced anything regarding the feature yet, and there is no information about when and if the live feature will be rolled out to end users.

Instagram has lately been adding quite a handful of features and updates to the app. In August, Instagram introduced a ‘Stories’ tab to the app, which bore uncanny resemblance to Snapchat . Just like the latter, Instagram Stories, allows users to share photos and video with a self-destructing life span of 24 hours. Also, the Stories feature allows users to embellish their pictures with doodles, texts and stickers. Additionally, last week, Instagram updated its app by bringing Stories to the Explore tab in an attempt to increase their reach. “More than 100 million people visit Explore every day to discover photos and videos from people they don’t yet follow. The new suggested stories section highlights the most interesting Stories from across Instagram’s vast global community,” Instagram said in a blog post.

Early this year, Facebook launched the live video feature on the social networking site, and since then Facebook has been pushing out this feature in full power. While now it is extending the feature to Instagram, Facebook itself has been making a number of changes to the feature to make it more and more desirable for every Facebook user. Last week, Facebook added an option to the live video feature, which allowed users to schedule these videos. Up until now, many live video bloggers faced the problem where they found a no show for their live broadcast because they wouldn’t get an opportunity to build an audience before they went on live. The newly announced feature is currently limited to verified users, and is soon expected to be rolled out for all.

Additionally, last month Facebook revealed that it will soon be bringing the live video feature to desktop as well. And considering Facebook is ranging the feature to Instagram, the desktop version of live video seems to be in order. It is to note that Facebook Live on desktops and laptops will be compatible with both peripheral camera and in-built cameras. Recently, Facebook expanded the time limit of broadcasting on Facebook Live from two hours up to four hours. Also, people and Page administrators on Facebook are now able to broadcast live videos in both full screen and video-only mode.

It’s been for a while that Facebook has been mixing and matching a lot of features across its different platforms. Earlier this month, Facebook-owned WhatsApp added Snapchat-like ability to scribble over images shared on the app. Essentially, WhatsApp now allows users to doodle and scribble on the images clicked or shared from the app, like in Snapchat. The feature was first rolled out only for Android users; last week the feature was rolled out for iOS users as well. Along with the Snapchat-like doodle feature, the update also brought additions like the ability to add emojis and color texts on top of the images, front-facing flash support, and the option to zoom in and out video recordings.

Similarly, few weeks ago, Facebook was reported to have been testing a Snapchat-inspired Stories feature for users in Poland. Under the guise of celebrating the “Messenger Day.” Facebook had rolled out a new tool which allowed users on Messenger to click and upload photos and videos, that are visible to all their friends, and disappear within 24 hours of being put up. And yes, these Messenger Stories can also be decorated using stickers, tests and doodles, just like in Snapchat, and now in Instagram Stories.

http://www.bgr.in/news/instagram-could-soon-let-you-post-live-videos/

 

[rahul1117kumar]

Instagram on Tuesday said it will start testing features that let smartphone or tablet users easily buy items they find on the popular photo and video sharing service.

The test slated to begin next week in the US will be tailored for Instagram applications on Apple mobile devices, according to a blog post by the Facebook-owned service.

The move will build on a strategy by the world's leading online social network to connect shoppers and shops, earning revenue from purchases.

"Mobile has changed the way people shop," Instagram said in the blog post "We're excited to announce an easier experience to shop the products you love on Instagram."

Instagram cited industry statistics indicating that smartphone purchases are commonly used in the US to browse or research options regarding potential purchases.

Twenty US retailers including Kate Spade and JackThreads will take part in the Instagram e-commerce test, sharing posts that provide more information along with "Shop Now" icons for streamlined purchasing, according to the blog post.

"This test is going to change the scope of what we, as retailers, are capable of offering on mobile," JackThreads chief marketing officer Ryan McIntyre said in the post.

"Our customers will be able to shop seamlessly from their social media feeds -- allowing us to reach guys where they're already hunting for what's new."

Rival firm Pinterest last year dove into e-commerce with "pins" that let people buy items they like at the popular online bulletin board.

Pinterest became a hit, particularly among women, by giving people virtual bulletin boards that they can decorate with pictures showcasing interests in anything from food to sports, to fashion or travel.

Instagram: Facebook-owned Instagram getting into shopping - ET Telecom

 

[rahul1117kumar]

Instagram is far from done when it comes to rolling out Snapchat -inspired features for its users. The company has now announced two new features, called Instagram Live and Instagram Direct ephemeral. With these new features, Instagram has essentially added an ephemeral twist to the process of privately sharing videos and messages. Both these features work on the Android and iOS apps, and are being steadily rolled out to all users in the coming weeks.

The Instagram Live feature may seem very similar to Facebook Live, but the biggest difference here is its ephemeral quality. Essentially, one will only be able to watch a live video while it is being streamed. There is currently no option to replay a live video after the user has stopped streaming. To start a live video, a user would need to swipe on the Instagram Stories camera and select ‘Live’. The app will choose a select group of your followers and notify them that you have gone live. Once live, a user can stream a video for up to an hour, and the UI is reminiscent of Periscope in the way it allows users to comment or tap repeatedly to add hearts. Broadcasters too can comment while streaming a video, or even opt to switch off commenting all together. At the time of filing this story though, the live option is not available on our iOS app.

Last year, Instagram introduced a new Direct feature to let users share Instagram posts with friends on the app, and privately discuss them.
The company says that since launch, Instagram Direct is being used by over 300 million users monthly. Instagram has now added a disappearing capability to Direct Messages, wherein a message shared between friends can only be viewed twice before it vanishes. In other words, Instagram Direct is now more Snapchat-like than before.

One can swipe right to the camera to either click a photo or record a video, and then tap the arrow to send it privately to a friend or group. The content not only disappear once your friend has seen them, but the app will also notify you if any friend replayed the video or took a screenshot of your photo. To help distinguish between disappearing direct messages and normal chats, Instagram is putting an outline around the icons, quite similar to how Stories are displayed at the top of one’s main feed.

It may seem a bit counterintuitive for Instagram to be launching a live video feature, which would compete against Facebook Live. But by giving it ephemeral qualities, Instagram is hoping to attract a different sort of audience, someone who is more inclined towards Snapchat. Both Facebook and Instagram has unabashedly admitted that some of its new features are inspired by Snapchat. It was a similar case when the company launched Instagram Stories earlier this year, and the strategy actually seem to be working. The company claims that since launch more than 100 million people use the Stories feature every day.

Instagram rolls out Snapchat-like disappearing live video and messaging features

 

[rahul1117kumar]

With the roll-out of a new update, Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram will now notify your friends when you take a screenshot of their Direct Messages (DM) — just like its rival Snapchat. However, the notifications are only for the new disappearing message feature.

To use the new feature, a user can swipe right into the camera to take a photo or video, then tap the arrow to send it privately. A user can choose a group or create one in just a few taps – and can also send to individual friends at the same time. According to Instagram’s statement, “Unlike other messages in Direct, these photos and videos disappear from your friends’ inboxes after they have seen them. And you will see if they replayed it or took a screenshot.”

Instagram will pop a new window down saying, “You can share this post with your friends” — offering a user a few ways to officially share the image if you tap the button.

Instagram adds Snapchat-like feature that notifies you if your friends take screenshot of private messages

 

[rahul1117kumar]

Facebook-owned Instagram has rolled out a slew of long-requested features. The new update bundles changes like the new options for users to turn off comments from their post. It also comes with a feature to remove followers from private accounts, a feature has been requested time and again over the years.
Instagram has introduced most of these new features with an aim to make the app much more safe, giving its users more control over their accounts. In a blog post, Kevin Systrom, the Co-Founder & CEO of Instagram, says that these updates will make the platform a positive place for self-expression and will keep people safe.

More control over comments

Now, Instagram is all about pictures, videos and now GIFs, however, but whatever conversation that takes place on the platform is either comments or direct messages. While users always had control over the direct messages, comments have still been tough to manage. It’s not news that social media has all kinds of people, happy and positive, and cynical and judgemental. Therefore, two new features by the platform is giving more power to users now.
Instagram is rolling out the ability for users to turn off comments on any post. Previously this was only available for a small number of accounts. In a few weeks, it will be available for everyone. To do that, go to “Advanced Settings” before you put up a post and then select “Turn Off Commenting.” And in case you change your mind, you can tap the menu and turn commenting back on.

In the coming weeks, Instagram is also adding the ability to like comments by tapping a heart icon next to any comment, much like how Facebook comes with a like button for comments. With the idea of making the platform more safe, not long ago, Instagram had launched the ability to filter comments based on keywords. This was an important step in giving users more control over the comments on their posts.

Remove followers from private accounts

I don’t know about you, but I have really been waiting for this feature for a really long time. Up until now how things worked was that, if you have a private account, the platform does seek your permission every time someone wishes to follow you, however, once you approved a follower, there was no simple way to undo that decision without blocking them. Now, with the new feature update, private account users can remove followers by going to their list of followers and tapping the menu next to any person’s name. The person will not be notified that you removed them as a follower.

Anonymous reporting for self-injury posts
While ago, Facebook had also rolled out this feature, which let you report anyone on your timeline who showed signs of self-harm or depression. This feature is now coming to Instagram. Therefor, if ever a user feels that someone they know on that platform may be thinking about injuring themselves, you can report it anonymously, and Instagram will connect that person to organizations that offer help.

Instagram now lets you remove followers, block comments, and more

 

[Shantanu]

Good news
This was much needed feature for instagram

 

[rahul1117kumar]

Instagram has introduced a new feature that will allow you to bookmark posts for later viewing. Until now, if you ever missed out on any post or wanted to revisit it, you would be required to go back to the person’s profile and scan through to find the post. With the addition of Saved Posts, you can mark posts you want to remember and go through again later. The new feature is part of Instagram version 10.2 and has been rolled out for both Android and iOS users.

How Instagram’s Saved Posts feature works?

Starting today, with Instagram version 10.2, you will see a new bookmark icon underneath posts in your feed. Simply tap on it to save a post. All the saved posts are collected in a separate tab on your profile. The good thing here is that all the posts you bookmark are visible only to you.

To see the bookmarked posts, go to your profile and tap on the bookmark icon. This will lead you to the gallery of saved content. It is to be noted that the Saved Posts feature doesn’t mean you can actually save the images or videos, but only bookmark them for later viewing, similar to Facebook’s save links feature. If the owner of the post removes that particular post, it will no longer appear in your bookmarks section. The feature is currently available only for the mobile version of Instagram and has not been extended to the web version yet. Hence, the saved posts will also not be visible on the web version.

Instagram recently introduced a lot of features mimicking rival service Snapchat that pioneered disappearing photo-sharing service. Last month, the company introduced disappearing live video along with disappearing messaging feature. The live video is similar to Facebook Live but expires after 24 hours. Additionally, users cannot watch a recap or save the video. This is in contrast to parent company’s Live feature which allows one to save live broadcasts to their profile so that it can be viewed later.

Meanwhile, the Instagram Direct feature works akin to Snapchat in which messages or videos shared between users or groups disappear after been viewed twice. To send a disappearing Direct message or video, simply swipe right on the app’s homescreen and then capture a video or photo. Now tap on the arrow to send it privately to a friend or group. Whatever you send will disappear after being viewed twice.

As there is always a way around saving such disappearing posts by taking a screenshot, Instagram rolled out a new alerts feature to notify users if their private temporary message was saved as a screenshot by their friends. This particular feature is only limited to the disappearing Direct posts and not every post that you take a screenshot of.

Instagram introduces Saved Posts, lets you bookmark photos and videos for later viewing

 

[Shantanu]

Something like whatsapp starred messages :tup

 

[wewake]

It's a good feature, now I don't have to take screenshots like earlier