Instagram Features You Might Not Know About
Instagram fan? Want to get the most out of the popular social media platform? There are loads of amazing features to help enhance your experience on the app, some even those who consider themselves pros might not yet know about.
Updates and improvements are constantly being made to Instagram, so there's always something new to discover. Find out what you might have missed below.
Send a voice message
Did you know you can now send a voice message to another Instagram user? Until recently, we didn't either.
To access this feature, you'll need to go to direct messages. Open up the app, tap the icon on the top right that resembles a paper aeroplane, choose a user to chat with and then, instead of typing a message, hold down the microphone and start recording.
Voice messages can be up to a minute long. Release your finger to send the message or drag your finger to the left towards to bin to start again.
Recommended posts
Want to discover more amazing content on Instagram from users you might not yet follow? Instagram's Recommended Posts feature is the perfect way to find new content tailored to you.
How do you find Recommended Posts? It's actually only available once you've caught up on posts from people you already follow. Once you've finished scrolling through this content, recommended posts will appear. It's easy to spot, as a blue icon prompting you to follow new users will pop up next to the post.
Add a Shoppable Tag in an Instagram Story
Whether you're working for an established brand or run an independent business, make sure you jump on Instagram's new Shoppable Tags feature.
Now, when you create a Story to advertise your products, you can add a tag that'll show users more information about the item (such as the price), alongside an option to click-through to your website. Adding a Shoppable Tag is straightforward, just follow the steps below:
- Select the photo or video you'd like to add to your Story
- Open the Stickers button, and tap Product
- Choose the correct item from your Catalogue (this'll be linked with your website)
- Customise the colour of your tag and place it wherever you like on your Story
- Post your Story
Clear Search History
Want to keep your Instagram search activity away from prying eyes? You can now clear your search history with a few simple taps.
Just select your profile icon from the bottom right-hand corner, open Settings (the gear icon) and scroll until you find Search History. You'll have the option to clear it, and by doing so you'll remove all your past searches, whether that's a location, specific user or a hashtag.
Manage your usage
Becoming more mindful about how much time you spend on your smartphone is always a big talking point.
Owned by Facebook Inc, Instagram gained a whole new feature as part of the tech giant's "Time Well Spent" initiative. Tools are now available to offer insight on how you use the app, and to help you reduce your Instagram habits.
Head over to your profile, open Settings and select Your Activity to explore the new tools. When you tap Your Activity, you'll see a number which reveals how much time, on average, you spend daily on the app. Graphs will also show you which day of the week you were on Instagram the most and you can set a daily reminder which will pop up once you've reached your preferred time limit on Instagram.
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