Instagram is one of the leading social media platforms ever since its inception. The IG platform is constantly evolving with exciting features and app updates and continues to stay ahead of the curve to meet the changing demands of its users.
IG updates and new features include new ways for its users to display their creativity and improved security and privacy measures. Let’s explore the latest improvements on Instagram that make the platform more engaging and inclusive through this article!
Latest Updates on Instagram
Instagram never fails to delight its users with compelling improvements and new features for a better platform experience. Here are some of the latest enhancements and features that the platform has rolled out in the first half of 2023:
Broadcast Channel
Broadcast channel is one of the recent feature updates in Instagram which is intended for creators on the platform. It is a messaging tool to help creators directly engage with their followers at a large scale, a quick way to keep their followers updated and always in the know.
Creators may leverage different creative ways to communicate on this tool. They may use text, images, polls, videos, and many more in updating their audiences. Although, only the creators are allowed to send messages or start a poll their followers can react and send a vote in their polls. This feature will also be available to other Meta platforms like Facebook and Messenger in the coming months.
Instagram Threads
One of the newest additions to the social media world is Threads. Threads is a new Meta application built by the Instagram team for sharing updates mostly in text form. Users can create a Threads post using text characters that can be up to 500 characters long and may include images, videos, and links.
This new platform can be integrated with your IG account. You just need to download the Threads app and log in using your IG credentials. Users may opt to follow other users on the platform or the same accounts they follow on their IG accounts. What’s great with Threads is that it has accessibility features like support for screen readers and photo descriptions which can greatly help those users with disability.
Meta’s Paid Verification on Instagram
The verification on the Instagram platform or what you see as the blue checkmark beside the name of famous figures such as actors, politicians, athletes, and other public figures, has always been a sought-after symbol on any social media platforms. This blue checkmark or check badge has always been a coveted symbol of popularity and authenticity. Most users often use this as a basis to tell if an IG account is authentic and legitimate or not.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced that Meta is in progress of rolling out paid verifications for the users on Instagram platform. This will allow its users to have a verified account but it comes with a monthly fee of $14.99 for a mobile app while it will cost around $11.99 per month for the web.
Multiple Links in Bio
For businesses and brands, this update is definitely a game-changer and will absolutely help boost their marketing efforts. Instagram has released a new update that enables businesses and brands alike to add multiple links to their Instagram account bio. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it is one of the most requested features in the platform and businesses and brands will now be able to add a maximum of five (5) links to their bio.
Downloadable Reels
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has announced that they are rolling out the ability to download Reels shared by a public account to your camera roll. This update is in progress in selected users and locations for now in the US. Creators can also allow their followers to download their content by updating their settings on their Account Settings on the platform. Although not all Reels can be downloaded, only those that are publicly shared are allowed to be downloaded to your local storage.
New Features for Instagram Reels
Aside from downloadable Reels, Instagram has also launched other updates for Reels. This includes enhancements on editing, gifts and to its newly added feature, the Trends.
Here are the latest improvements for IG Reels:
Reel Trends
Instagram is always looking for ways to improve the experience and showcase the creativity of its users. Which is why, it has launched Trends. Trends are where users can look for the latest trends in the platform. They are able to explore the trending songs in the platform and know how many users have used it and they can also tap the audio to save or use it for your next content.
Users can also explore current trending topics within the platform because Trends displays the most used hashtags. These are the kind of insights IG users can see through the latest Trends feature.
Editing
Instagram has now made it easy for its users to edit their content through a unified editing screen. The platform has put together the text, stickers, video, and audio clips editor in one screen which makes it easier for the users to align their visual elements to the audio and time elements of their content.
Insights
IG is adding two new metrics for Reels. This includes the (a) total accumulated watch time and (b) the average watch time. These two new Instagram metrics will help users know and understand better how their content is performing. Additionally, the platform also added new ways to know how Reels are contributing to the user’s growth on the platform and they will now receive a notification when they have a new follower from their Reels.
Gifts
IG has launched a new feature for creators and influencers to know when their fans have sent them IG Gifts so that they can recognise their thoughtful followers and supporters. IG team is also planning to expand the Gift feature to more markets which include Canada, Mexico, France, New Zealand, UK and Australia in the coming months.
Conclusion
As the digital world evolves, social media platforms like Instagram always find ways to adapt to the ever-changing demands of their users. IG has always been committed to enhancing its users’ experience on the platform and fostering a positive and creative community. With its constant updates and enhancements, the platform has already become more versatile and user-friendly than ever before.
In the span of seven months, Instagram has already launched various improvements on the platform and users are yet to expect more exciting updates and enhancements to look forward in the next few months. Whether you are an influencer, business, blogger, or just a private IG user, there is surely an update that you will be undoubtedly be benefitted.
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