Instagram News and Updates
Social media continues to offer new opportunities for content creators to grow with their community, and Instagram continues to lead the way with new updates and features designed to enhance user experience and safety, empower creators, and streamline content management. Here, you can find the top Instagram updates, news, and features in 2024, as well as past Instagram updates since its launch.
— 2024 —
Enhanced protection for teenagers
Instagram, under its parent company Meta, has been actively working to create a safer online environment for teenagers. This includes restricting certain content, DMs from adults, and allowing parents/guardians to use the parental supervision feature.
The latest Instagram safety updates in 2024 have introduced more enhanced measures to protect younger users on the platform:
– Default Private DM Settings for Teens: Instagram has updated its settings so that all teenage users’ direct message (DM) settings are private by default. This prevents them from receiving messages from individuals they haven’t followed, adding a layer of protection against unwanted contact.
– Parental Supervision Tools: Parents and guardians now have the ability to supervise their teen’s Instagram account more closely. They must approve any changes their teens wish to make to their safety and privacy settings, ensuring that parents are involved in their online activities
Creator Marketplace expansion
The Instagram Creator Marketplace has seen significant growth since its initial launch. In 2024, the platform has expanded to include a more global audience. The Marketplace is now available to brands and creators in several new countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, and Brazil. Additionally, Chinese export brands have the opportunity to collaborate with international creators.
Accessible through the Meta Business Suite, the Creator Marketplace allows creators to showcase their work and interests. Brands can discover and connect with creators using machine learning-powered recommendations, enhancing the matchmaking process between brands and relevant influencers.
Message features
Instagram’s messaging system has received a facelift, providing users with more control and personalization options for their DMs:
Message Editing: Users can now edit their messages up to 15 minutes after sending, allowing for corrections of typos or other errors.
Chat Pinning: Important conversations can be pinned to the top of the inbox, ensuring that users can quickly access their most significant chats.
Read Receipts Control: The platform now offers the option to toggle read receipts on or off, giving users control over whether others can see if they’ve read a message.
Chat Themes: A variety of themes are available to personalize chat experiences, allowing users to set the mood for their conversations with different visual styles.
Future 2024 Instagram Updates
The following section delves into a selection of Instagram features and updates that are currently in the works or anticipated to be unveiled in 2024. These have come to light through the investigative work of software developer Alessandro Paluzzi, known for his expertise in reverse engineering Instagram’s code.
Paluzzi’s findings shared via his Twitter handle @alex193a, offer a sneak peek at what Instagram may have in store for users shortly, although they have not yet been made available to the general public.
Instagram Flipside
Instagram is testing a new feature called Instagram Flipside, which is currently available to a select group of users. This feature is designed to enhance privacy and personalization, allowing users to create a distinct list of friends, separate from their “close friends” and general followers, to share content with a more private circle.
Users can create a private space on their profiles exclusively for this select group, effectively integrating the concept of a Finsta—traditionally a separate, private Instagram account—directly within their main account.
“Friend Map” feature
Taking cues from Snapchat’s Snap Map, Instagram is working on a ‘Friend Map’ feature, allowing users to share their real-time location with followers and friends. This feature will be voluntary and will let users see where their friends are, provided those friends have chosen to share their location as well. Location data shared through Friend Map will be end-to-end encrypted, and users will have the ability to control who can see their location.
Public Collections
Instagram is experimenting with an expansion of its Collections feature, known as Public Collections. This builds on the private Collections feature introduced in 2017, which lets Instagram users bookmark and organize content in private folders. Similar to Pinterest, Public Collections will allow users to save, organize, and now share collections of content with their followers.
— 2023 —
Meta verified: Paid Subscription
Paid features have arrived to Instagram. Through this program, with a price between $10-20, your comments will have priority, and you will receive a verification badge on your account or company page.
Candid stories
Did you get hooked on BeReal? With this, the app would notify you when it’s time to upload a post, and gives you 2 minutes to do so. Well, now candid stories have arrived to Instagram, to share stories of what you are doing in that moment.
Instagram Notes
Instagram now allows the creation of notes, similar to a status on WhatsApp, in which you can share ideas or thoughts with a certain group of users via direct messaging.
Instagram Groups
Instagram has incorporated a feature that already exists in Facebook: groups. With this feature, you can share content with certain users and generate debate around a topic.
Instagram Broadcast Channels
Instagram has also added the “Broadcast Channels” feature, a private space where you can connect with followers through direct messaging, images, or polls, in which only creators can write and send content.
Instagram Live Producer
Instagram Live Producer allows creators and brands to use streaming software and a stream key to go on Instagram Live with external cameras, microphones, and graphics.
Spam & bot management
Instagram has rolled out new functionalities to combat spam and bot interference more effectively.
– Separate inbox for DMs from suspected spam/bot accounts
– Consolidated spam tag requests that are automatically purged after 30 days.
– Hiding suspected spam story views for more accurate engagement metrics.
Instagram Gifts
Instagram Gifts allows fans to support their favorite creators by sending themed gifts, which translate into direct financial contributions.
— 2022 —
Pin post to feed
Instagram offers the possibility to pin up to three posts you have published to the top of your own feed. This can be any post from the feed posts including photos and videos, Reels are not included in this.
90 second Reels
Until now, Reels had a maximum length of 60 seconds. Instagram is extending the possibility of recording Reels up to 90 seconds to further expand the possibilities for content creators.
Favorites and Following Tab
In order to facilitate user’s search experience, Instagram created the Favorite and Following tab, where you can see the posts of those accounts added to your favorites or only those you follow.
New font in Stories
Text usually accompanies Instagram stories, so the network has added a new font to its gallery: “Instagram Sans”, to add a new touch to the content in your stories.
— 2021 —
Live Videos with More Than 2 People
Instagram expands the number of people who can be included in a live stream. Now you can have more than two users, and even up to four. Instagram Live continues to incorporate new features to get closer to other streaming platforms.
New fonts in Stories
Instagram also expands the number of fonts available in its editor for adding text to stories. Users that want to add text have multiple fonts to choose from.
— 2020 —
Reply to Messages from the Web Version
Instagram’s website version continues to add features to narrow the gap with its mobile version, and incorporates the possibility to reply to private messages through the browser platform.
Pin Comments
Instagram adds the option to pin comments. Creators can set an important comment to appear first, so that users can quickly find a productive reply, or see prominent users that are commenting on this content.
Reels
TikTok’s success was not definitely not ignored by Instagram, which launched Reels to compete against TikTok. These are short-form videos, in vertical form with a maximum duration of 60 seconds.
LIVES saved to IGTV
Every live video you make in the Instagram app will automatically be saved in the IGTV tab. This way, users can watch them again whenever they want.
— 2019 —
Stickers for Orders and Donations
In order to support small businesses in the face of COVID-19, Instagram launches donation stickers. Users can help businesses by donating or placing an order from the sticker.
— 2018 —
Close Friends Option
Instagram incorporates the “close friends” feature. With this, users select their “close friends” from their followers, and only they can see the stories shared for that group.
GIFS on Instagram
Animated images have arrived to Instagram. Users have the option to add GIFs to their content in stories, but also to create them so that others can use them in their posts.
IGTV
Faced with the growth of YouTube and other long-form video platforms, Instagram launches IGTV, a “TV channel” in which to post longer videos, of up to 60 minutes.
Polls in Stories
After including Instagram stories, the social network continues to expand its features and adds poll stickers. Interact with your users by asking them questions and letting them weigh in on the conversation.
Send Stories to Others
Instagram continues to foster the interactions between users, and they included the option to share stories with other users, as long as the account creating the content allows it.
Saved Folders
The social network incorporates saved folders. This is an element you can find the feed that allows you to store all the content you like and visit it at any time.
Creation of Filters
Filters are a great resource on Instagram to personalize photos, videos, stories, or whatever post. The social network launches the option to create filters so that any user can use them in their posts.
Save LIVES on your Phone
LIVES are also another great resource for creating content. With this in mind, Instagram allows users to save their LIVES to their phones, and upload them to the feed later.
Links in Stories
Links in Stories land on Instagram. Users have the option to add a link to their stories and thus attract traffic to other landing pages such as websites, stores, or a blog.
Statistics on Instagram
In order to know how your content is performing, Instagram launches statistics to measure and analyze what you share on the social network.
Story Highlights
Instagram adds Story Highlights, where users share the most important stories in their profile bio, which you can also add customizable cover for each different highlight section.
— 2017 —
Live Broadcasts
At the height of the broadcasting boom, the social network launches Instagram Live. Users have the option to share live content and interact through chat with viewers.
Following Hashtags
After years without notable developments in Instagram hashtags, the social network incorporates the option to follow a specific tag. Thus, be aware of the posts related to this.
Nonchronological Timeline
At the beginning timelines were chronological, and posts in your feed would appear in the order they were posted. Instagram decides to change this completely and based it on their algorithm.
Likes on Comments
A new way of interacting between Instagram users has arrived, with the aim of promoting communication. Users can “Like” comments left on posts.
Zoom in on Instagram Photos
No more screenshotting people’s images to zoom in. The social network improves the usability of the app and allows users to enlarge the image by pinching the screen.
— 2016 —
Stories are Added
Instagram launches Stories, content with multiple options that lasts 24 hours and allows users to interact with each other. A sign of the growth of the network, where photos and videos are no longer enough.
Manage Multiple Accounts from the App
Instagram continues to grow and there seems to be no ceiling. In 2016, it incorporated the possibility of managing more than one social network account from the same device. The gateway to social media was opened.
Boomerang
Instagram includes the “Boomerang” feature, a video that breaks the mold and plays a loop of the content, uncovering the creativity of users and content creators.
Instagram Shopping
Instagram expands its monetization options, one of them being Instagram Shopping, which allows users to sell their products directly through the app.
— 2015 —
Panoramic Photos
Instagram’s famous square format photos are left behind in 2015. The social network adds the option to publish panoramic photos without the content being cropped in square format.
— 2014 —
Hyperlapse
Instagram incorporates a feature that unlocks a lot of options for content creators, hyperlapse. With this, users can create an accelerated video by joining several photographs.
— 2013 —
Direct Messages
Instagram enables direct messaging, the feature that promotes communication between users by sending photos, videos, or other posts to users via private messaging.
— 2011 —
Instagram Hashtags
Hashtags were already being used on Twitter and were a great success. It was in 2011 when Instagram decided to add them to its social network. Since then they have been unstoppable for positioning content.
Instagram for Android
The first version of the Instagram application for the Android operating system appears. The social network was already available on both platforms and began its unstoppable path to success.
— 2010 —
Birth of Instagram for iOS
The Instagram application is launched on October 6th, 2010 for the iOS operating system. The adventure of the photo social network in the App Store begins. The rest is history.
