Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. News

Unsplash 5.0 makes it easy to follow your favorite photographers online

Gannon Burgett
By

unsplash 5 update social features nfs6drtbgam ferdinand stohr
Ferdinand Stöhr
Two weeks after incorporating, stock photography platform Unsplash has pushed out its latest update, with a focus on speed and social interactions.

If you’re not familiar with Unsplash, it’s a stock photography platform that relies on photographers uploading photographs using the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. By licensing their respective images using CC0, the photographers effectively put their images in the public domain where they’re free for anyone to use for whatever purpose.

Related Videos

The new 5.0 update comes on the heels of a recent milestone — over 1 billion — yes, with a B – total photo views on since it was created back in 2013.

Related

Unsplash has expanded from a small Tumblr blog with only a dozen images on it to a full-fledged platform, complete with APIs and integrated apps. Now, it’s looking to take its next step.

Inside the 5.0 update is a collection of new features, almost all of which revolve around making it a more social platform.

First up is the Following Feed, a new way to follow your favorite Unsplash artists and have your fans follow your work. When on your Following Feed, you’ll see a “PhotoGrid” of the latest images shared by the photographers you’re following.

Of course, with the ability to follow and be followed, notifications are all but a necessity. Now, Unsplash has an integrated notification module that will let you know who’s following you, who’s liking your photos, what collection your photos are being added to, and even give you a heads-up when you’ve reached a milestone for photo downloads.

Finally, Unsplash has introduced Stories. Now, you can add little snippets of text alongside each photo to give a little behind-the-scenes sneak peek at how the image was captured.

Aside from the social features, Unsplash 5.0 also improves performance with refactored code that should make everything smoother, from browsing through the archives to keeping up with your favorite photographers using the new Following Feed.

Unsplash 5.0 is already live, so head on over and take a look for yourself.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Hive Social is my favorite Twitter alternative, but that’s not saying much
iPhone 14 Pro in hand showing off profile page on Hive Social app

Ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter, it seems that the once-favorite social media site has just been going down in flames. It’s a sad sight to see — fake news and misinformation running rampant from paid “verified” accounts, restoration of formerly banned accounts (they were banned for good reason), and so much other stuff that I just can’t keep up anymore. With all of these changes, there’s been a rise in alternatives to Twitter, like the incredibly popular Mastodon.

I prefer something simpler, like the new Hive Social that has recently made waves. Think of Twitter and Instagram, and what you would end up with if you combined the two. There’s also a little dash of Myspace in there, as you can even add some music to your profile page. I’ve been poking around on Hive Social since I joined a week ago, and while I’ve been enjoying my time there, I also noticed a few things along the way.
Hive reminds me of the early days of Twitter
OnePlus 10T Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Read more
What is Twitter Blue and is it worth it?
Twitter Blue menu option on a white screen background which is on a black background.

If you spend time on Twitter, you've probably heard the phrase "Twitter Blue" at some point and wondered what exactly it is. We're not talking about the signature shade of blue featured in its logo -- we're talking about the premium version of Twitter.

That's right. There's a paid tier for Twitter that many people don't even know exists that launched in July of 2021. And then relaunched again under Elon Musk's ownership in November 2022. Don't worry -- we'll explain everything below.
What is Twitter Blue?

Read more
What is Mastodon? Here’s why everyone’s talking about this Twitter alternative
Series of four mobile screenshots showing Mastodon's sign-up process.

By now you've no doubt heard about Mastodon. It's a social media platform that's been bandied about as an alternative to Twitter, particularly among users who aren't comfortable with the direction Twitter is going in now that Elon Musk is at the helm.

In fact, since Musk first announced that he was planning on buying the popular microblogging platform, Mastodon has garnered quite a bit of attention and experienced significant growth. But though you've likely heard about Mastodon, you may not be familiar with how it works or haven't decided whether or not it would be a good fit for you if you ever choose to leave Twitter and need an alternative social media platform. Don't worry. We've got you covered. In this guide, we'll get you up to speed on everything you need to know about social media's buzziest new platform.
What is Mastodon?

Read more