Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Image-sharing platform Imgur adds social features to mobile apps, desktop

Imgur Android App
Twin Design/Shutterstock
Image-sharing and discovery platform Imgur is introducing an update to its mobile apps and desktop site that’s all about encouraging social connections. Previously best known for its informal status as Reddit’s favorite image uploading site, the platform has always lacked a robust messaging system. However, that’s no longer the case.

On Tuesday, the company announced new chat and follow functions for its iOS and Android apps, with the former also being overhauled on desktop. In the past, Imgur’s users (known as “Imgurians”) only had access to a pared-back messaging system that didn’t allow for the sending of rich media — a major oversight for a platform that built its reputation on memes.

Now, the Imgur mobile apps allow users to message other Imgurians on the platform using GIFs, posts, emojis, and traditional text. There are several ways you can strike up a conversation with another member when on their profile: you can chat via comment, tap the share icon, or head into the chat interface and search for a username to initiate a conversation.

With unsolicited messaging comes the need for security measures to prevent abuse and harassment. For its part, Imgur is giving users the simple option to block users from within conversation threads. You can check to see who you’ve blocked from the “manage blocked users” list in the main chat menu. On desktop, users will be able to access old messages in read-only mode in account settings. Once again, you can use the search function to continue talking to a fellow Imgurian. As part of the update, Imgur has disabled messaging on its mobile website.

Another new addition on the Imgur apps is the ability to follow other users. If you want to keep up with the activity of an Imgurian, all you have to do is tap the new plus icon next to their username on posts and in profiles. A “following” tab within your own profile will show you who you’re currently following. By tapping the plus icon, Imgur will notify you when that user reaches “most viral” — a feed that shows the most upvoted, most widely shared content on the site. Unlike Twitter, Imgur doesn’t want its community to obsess over follower counts, which is why it’s chosen not to display who you’re following to others, and how many people follow you.

Additionally, the Imgur apps now support account updates, allowing you to edit your profile from right within the settings menu.

Earlier this year, the platform suffered a setback when Reddit announced it was ditching the site in favor of its own photo-uploading tool. Fortunately for Imgur, it has managed to build a community of devoted users and visitors since its launch in 2009. It’s currently sitting at number 15 on Alexa’s ranking of the top websites in the United States.

The Imgur app is available to download on iOS and Android.

Download for iOS Download for Android

Editors' Recommendations

Saqib Shah
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
WhatsApp rolls out real-time location-sharing feature for iOS and Android
whatsapp

We've all been there. You're heading to a friend's place and running late. Said friend impatiently texts you, asking where you are. You text back, and the frustrating exchange continues until you finally, apologetically meet up. Good news if you're a WhatsApp user, though: Your phone can handle the back-and-forth for you.

On Tuesday, October 19, the Facebook-owned messaging app announced Live Location, a new feature that lets you share your real-time coordinates with one or more WhatsApp chat buddies. It's encrypted end to end to ensure privacy, Facebook says, and has an expiration timer that automatically stops location sharing after a predefined window.

Read more
Lightroom Mobile for iOS gains tools, while Android app gets more 'Android-y'
lightroom

Lightroom Mobile pares down the desktop editor’s features for mobile devices, but now the app is borrowing more features from the full-fledged desktop version. iOS users can now edit only a portion of the image using the paintbrush tool and the touch interface. Android users will have to wait for the feature, but will still want to download the Lightroom Mobile update with a redesign that Adobe says is faster, more efficient, and more “Android-y.” Adobe launched both updates on Tuesday.

The selective brush allows Lightroom’s tools to be applied to only a specific portion of the image. While the feature has long been a part of the desktop editor, iOS users now have access to the tool on mobile for the first time. On the app designed for mobile, the paintbrush can select portions of the image using the touchscreen.

Read more
Popular photo app Enlight is now free, adds desktop-class editing features
Enlight Photofox Mobile Photo App

Desktop photo editors use layers to make a number of different effects possible, but now a free iOS photo app is bringing the capability to mobile devices. On July 7, Lightricks announced Enlight Photofox, a free, second-generation version of the popular Enlight photo editor that was named Apple’s App of the Year in several countries and ranked as the 11th top-selling paid iOS app in 2016.

While the original Enlight app costs $4 on the App Store, Enlight Photofox comes with a freemium model and the option to subscribe to unlock extra in-app features. Despite the change in pricing, the new app brings several features from the original version as well as adding several new ones. The developers say the second generation strikes a balance between function and usability.

Read more