Three gifts from Instagram on its 10th birthday

 

Written by Noor Ul Ain Mehdi, Marketing Intern at SOCIATE

 

Better late than never, right?

If you’ve been using Instagram from the very beginning or joined last week, this one’s for you!

Here are the top three new features Instagram has rolled out to mark its 10th birthday.

 

Stories Map
This one’s a dream come true for type-A users. You can now view your archived Instagram stories, over the last three years, as a private map (when you’ve used a location sticker) and in your calendar. You can also download, save, or and share your favourite moments to your highlights.

 

Custom Icons
This update got the most coverage since it aligns with the iOS-14-inspired trend of customizable home screens that users absolutely loved. You can choose from several app icons, ranging from the very first Instagram icon, to various coloured-gradients and black and white ones too.

To experiment with these icons, all you have to do is:
– Update your app to the latest version.
– Go to your profile, tap the ‘Settings’ cog icon
– And finally, drag the screen down to reveal the hidden app icons.

 

IGTV Shopping
Have you spotted the new shopping bag icon on some IGTV videos? Instagram also launched the feature of in-stream shopping for IGTV – where you can easily purchase products directly from creators, when shopping tags are applied. Ecommerce has played a major role in Instagram’s growth strategy, and similarly, this feature could motivate brands and influencers to opt for IGTV over YouTube and the like.

 

It’s fascinating to see how Instagram has evolved over the past 10 years. How we started off with one icon and had to stick with it, or that we never had the option to post short-term content. It makes you wonder the cool stops this app will pull out over the next decade. A shapeshifting grid, holographic video calling, the options are endless! Let’s see what Instagram’s top thinkers have in store for us.

 

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