Instagram

Meet people who like Instagram, in appstochat!

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Using our online communities, connect and meet with who love Instagram just as much as you do!

Stay up to date with all the tips, deals and news you need to stay in the know. Enjoy a tonne of benefits in our Social Club including the opportunity to meet new people in our exclusive Premium Section.

Using our online communities, connect and meet with who love Instagram just as much as you do!

About Instagram

Instagram is founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, originally launched as a free app that was exclusively available for the iOS platform. In 2012, the platform was purchased by the social media giant, Facebook, in a $1 billion deal and has since exploded into one of the most rapidly expanding social media platforms in the world.

Fast forward to today, and the app is home to an incredible 400 million daily users and has seen over 40 billion photos shared across the platform. It’s estimated that over 95 million photos are now uploaded everyday which sees over 4.2 billion Likes.

Is Instagram Free?

Instagram has always been a free to download and use platform with no premium account, subscription or membership. You will only have to pay if you wish to promote one of the images or videos.

Specifications

Available Operating Systems:

Android, iOS & Windows 10

Size

Android: Varies depending on the device. (around 25MB)

iOS: 123MB

Windows 10: 65MB

Versions Available (Last Updated 22^th August 2017)

Android: 10.30

iOS: 10.29

Windows Phone: 10.913.38071

Download & Installation Process

Android users: Android download

iOS users: iPhone download

Installing the Instagram application on your smartphone or tablet is easy when you follow this step-by-step guide:

Step 1 – Open your respective app store on your smartphone or tablet, for example, Google Play, iTunes App Store etc.

Step 2 – In the search bar in your App Store, type ‘Instagram’ and press Search

Step 3 – Select the Instagram page from the results and tap the download/install button on the screen

Step 4 – Click through the options to install the application, as you would normally install an app

Step 5 – Once you have downloaded the app, locate the Instagram icon on the menu screen of your device

Step 6 – Open the application and input your login details or select ‘Sign up’ and follow the on-screen registration guide. You’ll need your email address, phone number and a custom password.

Step 7 – You’ll be asked if you wish to sync your contacts as ‘followers’ and you’ll be able to change your profile picture and custom information, such as your profile biography.

Step 7 – Your Instagram account is then set up and ready to use!

Tips for Using Instagram

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There are several tricks and tips to use when using WhatsApp that can streamline the way you use the app and can also be extremely useful.

Looking to follow more people that you know? Tap the ‘Find Friends’ option located in the options menu to add your contacts or connections from your other social media profiles.

To post a photo or a video, tap the camera or ‘+’ icon in the middle of the menu at the bottom of your screen.

When uploading a photo or an image, select your image and click ‘next’. You’ll then have the opportunity to scroll through a comprehensive selection of filters to enhance your image as well as the ability to edit your photo, changing aspects such as balance, the angle and the orientation.

Before finalising your photo to upload, hold down a face or part of the photo with your finger and you’ll be able to tag other users or pages.

You also have the ability to upload multiple photos at the same time, creating a slideshow. To do this, when selecting which images you want to upload; hold down one photo and a ‘tick’ will appear, allowing you to select multiple photos.

You’ll have the ability to make your profile private from other users that aren’t following you by accessing your ‘settings’ and switching your account to private.

When you want to send somebody an image, you can simply write ‘@USERNAME’, username being the name of the account you want to tag. This will post your message in the form of a comment. Alternatively, click the plane icon on the left-hand side of the comment box to send as a private ‘direct message’.

Direct messages can be accessed from your home-screen by tapping the drawer icon in the top right-hand corner.

You can add hashtags to your photos to gain more likes and followers. For example, if you’re uploading a photo of a BMW car; when uploading your photo, type #bmw or #car. You can add as many or as few hashtags as you like.

If you want to share GIF images on Instagram, you’ll have to convert them to a video format using your preferred conversion tool.

You also have the ability to control multiple accounts on the same device, such as a personal page and a business page. To do this, simply tap your profile on the bottom right-hand side of the screen, and your username will be at the top. Tap your username and click ‘add account’.

Hit the magnifying glass icon in your bottom menu, and you’ll be able to search for desired users, hashtags and any topic you like. On this screen, you’ll also have the ability to see trending photos and stories as well as accounts that Instagram thinks you’ll be interested in.

Features List

Available Features

Upload videos and images effortlessly to share with your followers and the rest of the platform
Add ‘geotags’ in the form of on-screen images to share the location of your image
Integrate with all your social media accounts to boost your following
Use hashtags to define your images and to increase profile presence
Post notifications to let you know when an account has uploaded a post
See all the posts you have liked in the past
Access to comprehensive search history
The ability to create private collections of your favourite posts
Stream a live feed to your followers
Double tap a post to instantly ‘like’ it
Reorder filters and editing tools so you can quickly access your most used
The ability to browse photos from specific locations around the world
Integrate other apps such as Boomerang
Upload story posts that are only available for 24 hours
Discover new accounts, pages and content you might be interested in using the explore tab

Desired Features

The ability to search multiple hashtags at the same time
The ability to share other user’s photos on your own feed
The ability to upload images from a non-mobile device
A trending section
More core editing functions and features
The ability to add links in comments or on profile (not just in bio)

Pros & Cons

Pros

Instagram has outstanding privacy settings, and there are very few cases of ‘trolling’ or cyberbullying on the platform.
Confidence boosting platform that can help increase self-esteem and connect you with other like-minded people with similar interests.
Seamless integration with other social media platforms.
Universal app that works across all compatible mobile operating systems
Take and upload photos and videos directly through the app
An outstanding platform for businesses and brands regarding visual marketing potential
Powerful hashtag system

Cons

Image and video heavy so can use a lot of mobile data if not connected to Wi-Fi.
No application for Blackberry, Symbian or Linux operating systems.
Restrictive instant messaging feature compared with Facebook.
Hard for businesses to customise targeted marketing options.
Location function is very telling of your actual location.