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TikTok's rumored photos app could bring its Instagram rivalry full circle
A new TikTok Photos app seems like the exact opposite of Instagram Reels
Social media giant TikTok is facing pressure on multiple fronts, as the US congress is set to vote on a bill this week that could result in the app being banned nationwide, and there's ongoing competition from established players, like YouTube with its Shorts feature and Instagram with Reels, who have their eyes set on TikTok's short-form video throne. In an unexpected twist, evidence suggests TikTok could soon hit back with a new app of its own.
Instagram wants to make your fake accounts a thing of the past
Catch it on the flipside: Potential new Instagram feature would roll out private photo grids
Myspace's Top 8 is a distant memory. The Facebook pokers have laid down their pointer fingers. Snapchat scores are so yesterday. We might soon be vying for spots in yet another secret social media circle, if a new Instagram feature being tested with select users comes to fruition. Dubbed "flipside," this new feature reportedly creates an entirely separate photo grid for only designated friends to see. No, it's not a finsta, and it's not Close Friends either. These friends are even closer-er.
How to talk with an AI chatbot on Facebook and Instagram
Meta's answer to Bard and GPT may already be available in your messaging app, here's how to start the conversation
The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 triggered an ongoing AI transformation of the digital landscape. The major players in the tech world clamored to develop and deploy their answers to GPT. Google quickly launched Bard, and Microsoft joined the GPT bandwagon with Bing Chat. But what about Meta?
Instagram is a social media giant. Look at how other platforms borrow and adapt Instagram's features. Snapchat put a twist on sharing images, and TikTok identified the addictive nature of an endless feed. Despite setting trends and breaking new ground, Instagram is conservative when it comes to file formats. You can upload amazing photos taken with the best camera phone in the world, but you can't upload an animated GIF.
How to export messages from Facebook and Instagram
Save your precious conversations with loved ones on Facebook and Instagram
You have complete control over your Facebook and Instagram content. Still, the social media platform can restrict or ban your account in unfortunate situations. Before you lose access to your messages, export your conversations from Facebook and Instagram for offline use.
How to use Meta AI's image generator for Instagram Reels
Create realistic images from just a few words
AI art has captured the imagination of many as the public has easy access to AI-powered tech. You can choose from several AI tools, like Midjourney, DALL-E 3, Stable Diffusion, and Meta AI.
WhatsApp continues working on Instagram integration behind closed doors
A new banner could announce the integration's arrival
Meta is one of the biggest social media companies in business, and all its properties, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, share several features and design elements to express Meta’s brand homogeneously. Despite the steady trickle of new features and updates, WhatsApp has preserved its individuality well in recent years. Now, its developers are finally gravitating towards features from other Meta platforms like Instagram. To this effect, beta testers report sighting a new tooltip pushing for deeper integration between the two apps.
WhatsApp may soon allow sharing status updates to Instagram
Integration with other Meta apps could benefit billions of users
As the world’s most popular instant messaging app, one would presume WhatsApp is blazing a trail with new features which rival apps adopt. However, that isn’t usually the case, and we have WhatsApp sometimes being many years late to add features inspired by Telegram — Channels for broadcasting information is one of the latest examples. However, WhatsApp is a Meta subsidiary, and it could soon tap into its integrations enabled by its parent company.
Facebook and Instagram now offer subscriptions to kill ads, but you probably can't join yet
Appeasing EU regulators, Meta just launched a subscription to remove ads from its biggest services
Regulators from the European Union have been working on privacy laws meant to safeguard users from corporations who sell off their data to advertisers. Some usual names emerge in this conflict between the regulators and ad-tech companies, such as Google and Meta. The latter, in particular, has attracted the EU regulators' negative attention on multiple occasions for its alleged malpractice with the use of targeted ads. The social media juggernaut is now launching a subscription service exclusively in Europe, enabling users in the region to get an ad-free Facebook and Instagram experience.
Does Instagram notify someone when you take a screenshot?
Instagram follows Snapchat's footsteps and snitches when you take screenshots. Here's how it works
Not many social media apps tell someone when you take a screenshot of the conversation. Snapchat may be the only one prioritizing this feature. Instagram has a similar one, but it only works in Vanish mode. It's a sensible app element, considering that the other party doesn't want you to record the chat in the first place.
Instagram finally embraces dynamic theming for app icon on Android
The latest update with the new icon style comes a whole year after most other apps
It was around this time last year when Android 13 made waves with support for dynamic theming of icons — the next logical step towards home screen personalization after Android 12 introduced us to Material You dynamic theming of other major UI elements. Several mainstream apps, including Google’s own apps, were among the early adopters before the trend slowed down. However, some of the best social media apps surprisingly didn’t bother with icon theming support. Instagram is one among those apps, but it is finally updating its Android app icon.
Meta gives users an easy way to opt out of Instagram's nosy tracking
Want to keep your Instagram activity under wraps? Meta has made it easier to block the app's prying eyes
Instagram makes big money from ads, and to make those ads super effective, it keeps tabs on everything you do online, both on and off the app. It's like a digital shadow that follows you around, taking notes on your every move. This allows the service to personalize your experience and bombard you with targeted ads. Thankfully, Meta provides tools to manage our privacy settings, including a feature called "Activity Off-Meta Technologies" (formerly known as off-Facebook activity), which lets you peek into Facebook's secret dossier on your online activities when you're not on the app. That same feature is now coming to Instagram, so you can finally see what the app knows about your life outside the platform.
How to get back a disabled or hacked Instagram account
Losing your account to hackers and IG's strict community sucks. But it's not a hopeless situation
Losing an Instagram account hurts, especially if you've had it for years. When hackers gain control of it, they can kick you out if they change your login details. You can no longer access your posts, followers, and other content until you try a recovery attempt and verify your identity. Violating Instagram's community guidelines is another way to lose your account. You don't get a strike or warning before it happens.
How to untag yourself from spam Instagram posts
Find out how to untag yourself from those annoying spam Instagram posts
You've just been tagged in an Instagram post by a stranger. We've all been there. Most of the time, it's a spam account introducing you to their profile, product, or service. It's even more annoying than a never-ending barrage of persistent Instagram ads populating your feed. While you can't do much about ads, it only takes a few clicks to untag yourself from a spam Instagram post, and we show you how.
How to use multiple Instagram accounts on the mobile app
You don't need to rely on hacks or third-party tools to use multiple Instagram accounts on mobile
Instagram has become the de facto choice for marketers, small businesses, influencers, and consumers. If you created another Instagram account for your business or another hobby, use it simultaneously with your personal profile on the platform. You don't need to sign in and out to switch between them. You can add and manage up to five Instagram accounts on iPhone and top-budget Android phones.
For over 10 years, Instagram has been a cornerstone of the online presence for millions of people and organizations. The online social network has 500 million daily users, and for 10 years, one feature that's been requested over and over has been the option to add more links to the Instagram bios. Instagram has finally given in to the will of the people. Now all accounts — personal, business, and creator — can add five links to their bios. And if you're looking to upgrade your pics, check out these top phones with cameras for ultrawide photography.
How to share an Instagram post on Facebook
No more copying and pasting posts between Meta's social media apps
Meta's acquisition of Instagram in 2012 formed a special bond between the platform and Facebook. Managing your social presence between both is easier now, especially if you're dealing with many moving parts in life. You can create Stories, regular posts, and Reels and send them to your Facebook feed or page in a few taps. If there are existing posts, you may be able to share them from your small phones and large tablets.
How to delete your Instagram account
You can kiss your Instagram account goodbye with these easy steps
Thinking about your Instagram account may be a sore subject. Whether you've revealed too many juicy details about your life on your brand-new Android tablet or you're fed up with social media, there's a way to remove these traces. But before you get started, deleting an Instagram account means serious business. You can't reverse this decision, so you may want to copy your Instagram data before proceeding. Otherwise, we teach you how to delete your account information on any trusty device you own, Android, iOS, or web browser.
Instagram now lets you collaborate on Posts, Reels, and Carousels with your friends
Users can now add music, stickers, and challenges to joint posts
Instagram has expanded well beyond its humble beginnings as maybe the most photo-driven of the best social media apps. With features ranging from live streaming to video looping, the Meta-owned platform is continuing to introduce new ways for users to engage with their followers. However, it hasn’t always been easy for people to collaborate on content across the app beyond sharing. To bridge the gap, Instagram is now rolling out Collabs, allowing up to four users to team up on a shared Carousel, Reel, or Post.
Instagram is one of the most popular and engaging social media platforms, allowing users to interact with each other and like each other's Instagram stories, reels, and posts, both from Android and iOS devices, as well as any web browser. This means Instagram works on virtually any operating system and device type, including Chromebooks.