Insta-checkout? New Instagram service lets you shop without leaving the platform
Shopping on Instagram no longer means leaving the platform to checkout in a web browser. Instagram checkout launched in beta today with a handful of retailers, allowing users to checkout without leaving the app. The tool will also send users notifications, including shipping updates.
Facebook explains its worst outage as 3 million users head to Telegram
Facebook, if you didn't already know it, suffered a bit of an issue on Wednesday. An issue that took down not only its social networking site, but also Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger to become the company’s most serious outage in its 15-year history. On Thursday it offered an explanation.
Yep, it’s not just you. Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are down for many
Facebook's family of apps has been suffering issues for much of Wednesday. Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Facebook itself have been out of action for users around the world, with the company scrambling to sort it out. The social networking giant insists the outage is not the result of a cyber attack.
13 inspiring female photographers to follow on Instagram
On International Women's Day, fill your Instagram feed with inspiring posts from these 13 women photographers, representing a breadth of experience from travel and street photography to fine art and commercial work.
Instagram: Wacky JetBlue contest offers free flights if you delete all your pics
A bizarre contest launched by JetBlue requires Instagrammers to delete all of their photos for a chance to win a year's worth of free flights. It’s certainly a drastic move, but fortunately there’s another way to get your name in the hat without taking a wrecking ball to your account.
Instagram now lets you hide your embarrassing pics in a special place
Instagram now lets you send private photos to an Archive, though you can still make them public in the usual way whenever you like.
Instagram may offer a public option for collections à la Pinterest
Instagram launched Pinterest-style collections in 2017, allowing users to save and organize posts around a particular theme. They're currently private, but code spotted in the app reveals Instagram is considering allowing collections to be made public so users can share them with their followers.
Instagram to make giving easier with a Stories donation sticker for fundraisers
Instagram is preparing to launch a donation feature within Stories that would allow users to raise cash for a range of nonprofit charities. The company confirmed plans to launch the donation sticker later this year, adding that it will help users to "bring awareness to meaningful communities and causes."
Photography news: Wacom’s slimmer pen, Leica’s cinema special edition
In this week's photography news, Wacom launches a new slimmer pen for pro users. Leica's upcoming M10-P is designed for cinema, inside and out, with built-in cinema modes in the updated software. Photo sharing platform Instagram could soon have Direct Messages from a browser instead of the app.
Instagram test reveals direct messages may be coming to browsers
Instagram for the web has always been a minimalist affair compared to the feature-rich mobile app, but in the last few years that's started to change. Instagram is now testing direct messages for browsers, which, if it goes live, could prompt more people to use it as their go-to messaging service.
Crouching, climbing, and creeping, the perfect Instagram shot knows no bounds
Just how far will you go for the perfect Instagram? A recent survey shows just how willing Instagram users -- and Instagram husbands -- are to climb, lie down, or let their food go cold for the perfect shot. With the survey, Adobe also launched a video as a tribute to Instagram husbands.
‘Instagram egg’ embarks on a new adventure as man behind it is unmasked
The Instagram egg made headlines around the world last month after it became the most-liked post on the photo-sharing service, knocking Kylie Jenner off the top spot. The identity of the person behind the account has now been revealed, as has his reason for choosing an egg for the stunt.
Facebook plans ‘major improvements’ as platforms grow to 2.7 billion users
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger now have an estimated 2.7 billion users -- and Facebook is making big plans. During the end of year conference call to investors, CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the company's plans for expansion in 2019, including new 'major' features.
Facebook’s merger plan causing concern among lawmakers and security experts
A Facebook plan to merge Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram has caused controversy this week. Now some experts and lawmakers are raising concerns about the privacy implications and antitrust issues stemming from the plan, as well as questioning the plans for end-to-end encryption in messaging.
Instagram accidentally wrecks the news feed by pushing out a tap-to-navigate test
Instagram feed look different this morning? The platform accidentally launched a test to a wider user base than first anticipated, which replaces the feed scroll with a Stories-like tap. Instagram has since reverted to the usual feed, but says the feature is still in testing.
No yolk! A photo of an egg has become the most-liked post on Instagram
Until this weekend, the most-liked post on Instagram was of Kylie Jenner's baby daughter, which has around 18 million likes. It's now been knocked off the top spot not by a stunning sunset or cute cat, but by an egg. An egg called Eugene that was gifted to the world by a hen called Henrietta ... apparently.
Instagram now lets you post to multiple accounts in one tap
Instagram now lets you post to multiple accounts at the same time. It's not the regram feature that many users have been asking for, but it could prove useful for some users who manage more than one profile. The feature is available for iPhone users, with no word yet on a rollout for Android.
Here’s how to use Instagram’s new voice message feature
Direct Messages are a sacred and powerful place, and Instagram has recently unleashed a new way to communicate privately with friends and loved ones in the form of voice messaging. Want to know how to record an Instagram voice message and show off your beautiful voice? Look no further than this guide.
Instagram’s 2018 year in review shines a light on where our hearts are
What did Instagram users share the most in 2018? A lot of heart emojis, heart face filters, and heart GIFs. The platform recently shared the year's top trends, including hashtags like #fortnite and #metoo along with a few more surprising trends. Take a look back on Instagram's year.
Instagram could be making a special type of account for influencers
Instagram influencers fall somewhere between a business profile and a typical Instagram, so the company is working on developing a type of account just for creators. The new account type would give creators more access to analytical data, as well as adding messaging tools and filters.
Walkie-talkie voice messaging finally comes to Instagram
Instagram has added walkie-talkie-style voice messaging to its app. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and iMessage, among others, already offer the feature. To send a voice message, simply tap on the app's messaging icon and then press and hold the microphone button inside the text box -- and speak!
Hotel chain offers an Instagram ‘sitter’ who will post photos for you
If the pressure to post stunning Instagram photos is ruining your vacations, then better take your next trip in Switzerland. A hotel chain there is offering the services of a local Instagram influencer to take control of your account and post great images to it while you go off and enjoy yourself.
Photography News: Tiffen launches portable LED, COOPH designs heated photo vest
In this week's photography news, Tiffen launches their first LED in the portable, robust Lowel light line. Instagram gains more accessibility features for the visually impaired. Shutterstock launches high-end video Selects. And this odd photo vest has a built-in heater controlled via smartphone.
Instagram’s new Close Friends List lets you decide who should see your Story
Have a story to share, but don't want to send it to everyone? Instagram now has a close friends list that will allow users to share stories with only the users included on that list. Friends will see a green icon inside the story if included on that list, however. The update is rolling out today.
Instagram is about to start fiddling around with your profile page
Whether or not you like the look of your profile page, Instagram is going to begin testing new designs in the coming weeks to make it "easier and cleaner to use." It's already posted a few ideas about what to expect, with new tabs and buttons on the way, as well as reduced prominence for follower/following counts.
Time alerts put the brakes on Facebook consumption, are rolling out now
Just how much time do you spend scrolling through the Facebook feed? Facebook will now tell you. The new features also include daily alerts that tell users when they've spent too much time on the social networks and an option to temporarily snooze notifications. The tools are rolling out now after an August announcement.
Instagram purges fake followers, likes, and comments generated from other apps
Instagram looking a little more authentic? You can thank machine learning. A new tool is helping Instagram spot followers, likes and comments generated from third-party apps. Those fake interactions are now being removed, and users that shared information with those apps should reset their passwords.
Instagram tool accidentally exposes user passwords. Were you affected?
Instagram's Download Your Data tool contained a security vulnerability that accidentally exposed the passwords of a small number of users in plain text. Here is the explanation on what happened, and how to find out which Instagram accounts were compromised by the security bug.
Addicted to Instagram? Its new ‘activity dashboard’ is here to help
Ever get that nagging feeling you're spending too much time on Instagram? A new "activity dashboard" comes with features designed to help you better control how you use the addictive photo-sharing app. They include daily reminders when you hit a self-imposed time limit, and a quick way to shut off notifications.
Build a wish list and shop videos with Instagram’s latest shopping update
Eyeing a product on Instagram? Now there are more ways to shop from the social network. Instagram just rolled out options to save products in a collection. Users can also now shop from videos and can soon visit a redesigned brand Shop page containing all the shared products from the company.
Shazam hooks up with Instagram Stories for another way to share songs
The latest update for Shazam lets iPhone users share songs to Instagram Stories in a few quick taps. To enable it, make sure you have the latest version of Shazam on your handset. The new feature just landed and comes shortly after Apple completed its acquisition of the popular song-recognition app.
Snapchat’s PR firm is suing an influencer for failing to influence
Snapchat's PR company is suing a social media influencer for his alleged failure to promote the latest version of Spectacles on Instagram. Actor Luka Sabbat was paid $45,000 upfront to post a certain number of posts, but the lawsuit claims he fell well short of the terms of the deal.
This Red Sox fan had his $650 World Series ticket stolen via Instagram
If you bag a ticket for a big event, then be careful about posting a photo of it on Instagram or another social media site. Boston Red Sox fan Robbie Johnson found out why the hard way after a scammer copied his ticket and used it to gain entry to a World Series game, invalidating the original ticket in the process.
How to get more followers on Instagram
Do you want to be Instagram famous? Want people other than your family to see your posts? Here, we outline a few tips and tricks for gaining a sizable following on Instagram, whether you intend to do so using an assortment of hashtags, cross promotion, or something else entirely.