Last summer, Instagram introduced Stories to its platform, a feature that happens to be very similar to competitor Snapchat’s story feed. Until now, one key difference between the two has been that Snapchat’s tried putting ads between the stories, while Instagram hasn’t tried that to date. Now it will. [More]
Instagram To Let You Turn Off Commenting & “Like” Positive Comments
By 12.6.16
Just weeks after Twitter announced that it would be stepping up its efforts to hide and report harassment and abuse, Instagram says it’s also launching a new tool to give users more controls over the comments on the photos and videos they post. [More]
Is It Time To Get Serious About Cracking Down On Stealth Instagram Ads?
By 11.30.16
If you’ve used Instagram, you’re almost certainly familiar with apparently real people touting tummy-flattening tea, an array of subscription boxes, the benefits of some multilevel marketing scheme, or the latest in fashion, beauty, and electronics. If these people are being paid to shill these products, then they have to clearly be flagged as ads. Though the Federal Trade Commission has pledged to get serious about going after advertisers who taint your Instagram feed with these stealth ads, some consumer advocates say the FTC simply isn’t doing enough. [More]
Has Instagram Made Snapchat Irrelevant?
By 11.21.16
Once upon a time, Instagram was where you publicly posted the photos you were really proud of and wanted the world to see, while SnapChat was where you privately posted other photos that you were proud of, but only wanted a few people to see — and where there was no lasting record of the visuals. In the years since, Instagram has increasingly encroached on SnapChat’s turf, and the Facebook-owned service’s latest update may lead some to wonder: Is there any reason to have both SnapChat and Instagram? [More]
Instagram Adds Mentions, Links, And Boomerang Tool To Stories Feature
By 11.10.16
Well, well, well, what do we have here? A photo-sharing app adding features that Snapchat doesn’t have? Yes, that’s actually happening: Instagram is updating its Stories feature to allow users to tag their friends, add links, and apply its Boomerang effect to photos. [More]
Instagram Testing Feature That Makes It Easier To Buy Stuff Tagged In Brands’ Photos
By 11.1.16
In case you needed more shopping temptation in your daily social media feeds, Instagram is now testing a new feature that helps users buy the products that they see in brands’ photos. [More]
Rumor Has It: Instagram Testing Live Video Feature
By 10.24.16 — Updated: 10.31.16
Remember the days when social media apps were all totally different? Neither do we. To that end, there are some rumors floating around that Instagram is taking a page from parent company Facebook’s playbook with tests of a new live video feature. [More]
The Latest In Phishing Scams: Instagram’s “Ugly List”
By 10.4.16
No one wants to be called names, and no one wants those hurtful names to be blasted all over social media. Unfortunately, it appears fraudsters are taking advantage of those fears with an “ugly list” phishing scam making the rounds on Instagram. [More]
Instagram Now Lets Users Auto-Save Content, “Mute” Others’ Stories
By 9.14.16
Last month, Instagram took a page from Snapchat by launching a “stories” option that allows users to compile photos or video for sharing on their profiles. Today, the company attempted to slightly differentiate its feature, enabling an auto-save function and mute option. [More]
Rejoice! You Can Now Zoom In On Instagram Photos, Videos
By 8.31.16
How many times have you looked at an Instagram photo on your smartphone and instinctively tapped the picture to get a closer look at the details captured, only to be reminded that the photo sharing site doesn’t support zoom? Countless. Well, that’s about to change, finally. [More]
Instagram Launching Live “Events” Video Channel
By 8.17.16
Along with viewing your friends’ photos and videos in your feed, or checking out what’s popular on across app, Instagram is adding a new “Live Events” video channel that streams, well, events. Live. [More]
NBC Universal Will Make Original “Shows” For Snapchat
By 8.8.16
A number of high-profile entertainment companies are already programming content for Snapchat, but for the most part it’s repurposed stories, photos, list-icles, and infographics that has seen life elsewhere in the world. However, NBC Universal seems to believe Snapchat could be a platform for exclusive original content. [More]
Crackdown Coming For Stealth Social Media Ads
By 8.5.16
We’ve seen Warner Bros. get in trouble for paying YouTubers to hype a new game without properly revealing they were paid, and we’ve seen Lord & Taylor caught paying Instagram influencers to shill for a new dress. Yet our social media feeds are still overflowing with celebrities and semi-celebrities pushing products without disclosing that they are receiving a paycheck to do so. [More]
Instagram Mimics Snapchat With Stories-Like Feature
By 8.2.16
Eventually, all social media/messaging apps are going to look the same. At least, that’s the impression we get following Instagram’s release of a new feature that looks an awful lot like the Snapchat’s “Stories” functionality that lets users compile photos or video for sharing on their profile. [More]
Instagram Will Let You Filter Comments On Your Photos
By 8.1.16
It’s always nice to get positive, and even constructive, feedback on your Instagram photos. It’s not so nice when someone takes the time to hurl insults or make threats in the comments. Soon, Facebook-owned Instagram will give users new anti-harassment tools that let them hide unseemly messages left on their photos. [More]
What Do You Do When All Your Instagram Photos Disappear?
By 7.11.16
From that time the cat wouldn’t stop attacking its reflection in the mirror, to the gargantuan bacon cheeseburger you ate last night, Instagram users post all kinds of memories on the photo-sharing site. So when Consumerist reader Dylan was suddenly faced with losing all his pictures, he was understandably upset. [More]
Instagram Will Start Offering Translations For Captions, Comments, & Bios
By 6.23.16
If you’ve ever wondered what that Russian cat is actually saying in her Instagram captions, or what the real story is behind your favorite K-Pop star, you won’t need to step outside the social media service to translate those posts and bios anymore. [More]
Instagram Will Now Let All Users Filter Comments By Keyword
The internet — and its accompanying social media networks — can be a fickle beast. The same post could have friendly, supportive feedback right next to vitriolic, threatening rants from complete strangers. Last month, Instagram began testing a feature that let high-profile users filter out unwanted comments based on keywords, and now that new tool is becoming available to all Instagram users. [More]