I say new(ish) as one of them is definitely new, but the other one might have been around for a while and I have only just spotted it.
Since its inception Instagram has been adding one feature here one feature there and slowly has become really robust. The latest update gives users the ability to see which images they’ve liked on Instagram. Until now you liked something and within five minutes it was forgotten. Unless you remembered the photographer’s name, or unless the image was tagged, you couldn’t find it again. Now you can. If you update to the latest version (v1.18.17), you gain an extra option called “Photos you’ve liked”. They are displayed as a grid, but it’s easy to switch to a feed view as well. Instagram displays the latest 32 photos you liked, but you can obviously load more. A simple addition, but it makes Instagram more appealing and sticky.
The other feature I only noticed this morning shortly before I updated the app, so I assume it’s been there for a some time. When I looked at my News tab – which so far consisted of messages telling me someone was following me, liked a photo or left a comment on it – it also told me one of my Twitter friends had just joined Instagram. Which was quite useful again and much easier than scrolling the same list every few weeks or so just to see who else has joined Instagram in the meantime.
Now all they need to do is to create a nice web interface – some images do look better on a bigger screen, don’t you think? Or, since they’ve already made their API available to third-party developers, they can buy one of the many existing web apps created to display and interact with Instagram images.
My favourite one so far is Extragr.am (that’s where the above screengrab of my IG images comes from) and it’s a really easy way of navigating your (and your friends’) images on a bigger screen.
If you are on Instagram, do follow me – I’m michald on there. It’s worth it 😉
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