Instagram

586 'Instagram' stories September 2011 - April 2018

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Instagram is a social media service owned by Facebook for sharing photos and videos. Instagram launched in 2010 exclusively as an iOS app and didn’t come to Android and the web until 2012.

Facebook acquired Instagram in April of 2012 for $1 billion. Facebook also offered to buy Instagram’s closest competitor Snapchat back in 2013 for $3 billion.

In June of 2017 Instagram shared that it reached 250M daily users, surpassing its rival Snapchat by almost 100M. It also has over 700M total users.

Instagram has been criticized for taking popular features from Snapchat such as face filters, stories, and stickers. The company also has plans moving forward to introduce more business focused features.

Instagram for Apple Watch killed as Apple begins requiring native apps in updates

Zac Hall Apr 2 2018 - 11:35 am PT

Despite dramatic improvements to Apple Watch speed, some high profile apps have been actively pulled from watchOS over the last several months. Instagram is the latest major app to disappear from Apple Watch as part of today’s iPhone app update…

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Instagram listens to user feedback, making several improvements to its feed algorithm

Peter Cao Mar 22 2018 - 10:32 am PT

Instagram today announced that it will be making several updates to its feed algorithm to help improve the experience for its users.

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Instagram update brings hashtags and profile links to bios, may copy Snapchat QR codes

Michael Potuck Mar 21 2018 - 10:51 am PT

Instagram has today released an update that brings two new features to the social media platform: the ability to add hashtags and profile links to a user’s bio.

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Instagram testing ‘quote-Storied’ feature with small number of users

Peter Cao Mar 19 2018 - 1:52 pm PT

Snapchat may not be the only company Instagram is looking to copy. The company may be looking into copying Twitter’s quote-tweet feature.

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Instagram & Snapchat remove Giphy integration due to sticker w/ racial slur

Chance Miller Mar 11 2018 - 8:37 am PT

Earlier this year, both Snapchat and Instagram added integration with popular GIF service Giphy, allowing users to add the stickers to their posts and stories. As first reported by TechCrunch, however, both social networks have now removed that integration due to a GIF with a racial slur…

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Report: Instagram developing its own Portrait Mode-like camera feature

Chance Miller Mar 5 2018 - 2:30 pm PT

Instagram appears to be testing yet another new feature for its mobile applications. Just days after code emerged hinting at support for audio and video calling in the app, TechCrunch now reports that there’s further evidence of a Portrait Mode-like feature coming…

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Instagram seemingly nearing launch of new audio & video calling feature

Chance Miller Mar 1 2018 - 6:38 pm PT

Update: Guilherme Rambo has found additional evidence of Instagram’s video calling feature:

Instagram video chat is also coming to iOS (but it's clearly not ready just yet) https://t.co/JagC5ChC99 pic.twitter.com/vZjtrCtWwF

— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) March 2, 2018

Instagram appears to be preparing to compete with one of Snapchat’s most popular features. TechCrunch has dug up icons in the Android version of the Instagram application that suggest the company is hard at work on developing a new video calling feature…

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Instagram Direct adds new replay options as it looks to compete with Snapchat’s most popular feature

Chance Miller Feb 20 2018 - 3:14 pm PT

One of Snapchat’s most popular features is its private chat platform, which is coincidentally the sole feature that Instagram has struggled to copy. Instagram, however, has started to roll out new capabilities to its Direct platform that it hopes will give it an advantage over Snapchat…

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Instagram testing support for sharing others’ posts to your Story

Chance Miller Feb 7 2018 - 3:03 pm PT

Instagram has always resisted the idea of a “Regram” button, but the company appears to be reversing its course, at least in the case of Stories. According to TechCrunch, Instagram is testing a feature that would allow users to share another user’s post directly to their own Instagram Story…

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Instagram for iOS adds new ‘Type’ text mode for story creation

Chance Miller Feb 1 2018 - 9:44 am PT

Instagram today is further expanding the capabilities of its stories feature. In a blog post this morning, Instagram has announced a new “Type” mode for stories that lets users share anything on their mind, with no text or video required…

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Snapchat adds ‘Deluxe’ Bitmoji as Instagram introduces scheduled posts

Zac Hall Jan 30 2018 - 9:10 am PT

Snapchat has unveiled new enhancements to its Bitmoji feature that will offer way more customizations than ever before. For business users, Instagram is also releasing new features with the ability to schedule posts.

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Instagram brings GIF stickers to photos and videos for stories

Michael Potuck Jan 23 2018 - 9:41 am PT

Instagram has today launched GIF stickers for use in the social media platform’s stories. The company also announced that it will soon launch a feature to help with posting content with different aspect ratios.

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Instagram is now inserting ‘recommended’ posts in your main feed

Chance Miller Dec 27 2017 - 11:48 am PT

After adding support for following hashtags earlier this month, Instagram is now rolling out a new “Recommended for You” feature, TechCrunch reports. This feature will see the social network insert posts it thinks you may like directly into your feed…

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Instagram update brings option to share live videos in direct messages

Michael Potuck Dec 21 2017 - 11:12 am PT

Instagram has rolled out an update today to its app that brings the ability to send live videos in Direct.

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Instagram now lets you follow specific hashtags in your main feed

Chance Miller Dec 12 2017 - 8:56 am PT

After announcing new features for Stories last week, Instagram is now rolling out support for following hashtags. This capability has been hitting accounts over the last 24 hours and makes it easier for users to follow a specific topic or person they might have interest in.

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Instagram may be following Facebook in pushing private messaging into a standalone app

Ben Lovejoy Dec 7 2017 - 5:22 am PT

Facebook made the controversial decision back in 2014 to remove private messaging from the main app, moving it instead into Facebook Messenger. It now seems the company may have similar plans for Instagram.

From today, Instagram is testing a new app called Direct. For those who choose to install it, the inbox disappears from the main app …

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Instagram updating profiles with new Stories features, Archive and Highlights

Noah Stahl Dec 5 2017 - 7:56 am PT

Instagram today announced two new features and both of them have to do with the Stories. Stories are small video clips that stick around for 24 hours and then disappear to the aether. With the latest update though, you can store those memories forever.

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25 million businesses now on Instagram, up 9 million since July

Michael Potuck Dec 1 2017 - 7:17 am PT

Instagram has announced that the social media service is being used by 25 million businesses (including us!) as of November. It has seen strong growth over the last few months as business users have increased by 9 million in the last four months.

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Instagram testing native Regram, archive Stories, Share to WhatsApp, more, no iPad support in sight

Michael Potuck Nov 29 2017 - 9:56 am PT

A new report from TNW shares that Instagram is testing out a wide range of new features including a native Regram button, an archive Stories feature, a share to WhatsApp option, a beta version of its app, and more.

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Instagram continues Snapchat attack, adds new ‘Remix’ annotation feature & endless loop replays

Chance Miller Nov 28 2017 - 5:31 pm PT

Instagram has not been shy about competing head-to-head with Snapchat, and a new update today continues that trend. In a blog post, Instagram announced a new feature that allows users to “remix” photos from friends…

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Instagram continues Snapchat assault, lifts 24 hour limit on Stories clone

Zac Hall Nov 8 2017 - 6:59 am PT

Instagram is continuing its assault on Snapchat (which is working) by opening up its Stories clone to any photos and videos in your photo library. Stories were originally limited to shots and footage captured in the app, then later updated to include photos and video captured within the last 24 hours.

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Instagram’s Stories feature hits 300M daily active users, nearly double the size of Snapchat

Chance Miller Nov 1 2017 - 4:29 pm PT

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg announced on the company’s earnings call today that Instagram’s Snapchat Stories competitor now has 300 million daily active users. WhatsApp’s version of the feature, called ‘Status,’ has also now has 300 million daily active users, according to Zuckerberg. As noted by TechCrunch, that number is nearly twice the size of Snapchat…

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Instagram adds mid-feed preview tiles for Stories, tests new stop-motion camera feature

Chance Miller Oct 30 2017 - 5:11 pm PT

Over a year ago, Instagram rolled out its clone of Snapchat’s popular Stories feature and has since said that its version of Stories reaches over 250 million daily users. Now, Instagram is making a change to its iOS app that makes Stories even more prominent…

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Instagram releases Halloween themed face filters and stickers along with new ‘Superzoom’ feature

Michael Potuck Oct 26 2017 - 10:42 am PT

Instagram today has released several new features. First, the social media service has brought some Halloween face filters along with new stickers for some seasonal fun. Second is a new “Superzoom” feature that works with stories or direct.

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