Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has been slapped with a preliminary warning from the European Commission over its controversial “pay or consent” model which offers users the choice between personalized ads or a monthly subscription. 

In a release this week, the European Commission revealed it has informed Meta of its preliminary findings on the practice, which in its view “forces users to consent to the combination of their personal data and fails to provide them a less personalized but equivalent version of Meta's social networks.” 

In November, Meta introduced the new subscription fee in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), the same law being used to hold Apple’s feet to the fire over its App Store in the territory. Meta’s solution offers EU users on Facebook and Instagram a choice between paying a monthly fee of nearly $14 a month for ad-free browsing, or continued personalized ads if they want to keep using either for free.

The EU takes aim at Meta 

According to the Commission, this business model is not compliant for two reasons. Firstly, it “Does not allow users to opt for a service that uses less of their personal data but is otherwise equivalent to the “personalized ads” based service,” and secondly, it “Does not allow users to exercise their right to freely consent to the combination of their personal data.” 

To comply, the EU says Meta must offer users an “equivalent service which uses less of their personal data” even if they don’t consent to being tracked for the purposes of advertising. Meta now has 12 months to offer a defense, with proceedings closing in March 2025. If Meta can’t get the EU back on its side, it faces a fine of up to 10% of its total worldwide turnover, rising to 20% in the case of repeated offenses. 

It’s another huge hammer blow to Meta’s advertising business, which has already suffered massively in recent years thanks to the App Tracking Transparency feature added to iOS 14 by Apple. That change allowed users to opt out of being tracked across multiple apps and services using a unique identifier, a previously core part of Facebook’s advertising business. Now, the EU seems intent on crushing Facebook’s remaining advertising power. If users are allowed to opt out of the personalized advertising for free, it would mean the advertising that Meta offers businesses on Facebook and Instagram will be much less effective because fewer users will be served ads they’re likely to click on. That will in turn reduce the value of these ads overall, and the amount Meta can charge customers to serve them. All of that’s bad news for the bottom line of a company that has already bet big on the Metaverse and lost in recent years.

More from iMore

• BREAKING: EU opens investigation into Apple over DMA
• EU still not happy with Apple's DMA compliance
• iPhone owners are ditching Safari for third-party alternatives

Meta says it has resolved a technical issue that was causing some people "to have difficulty accessing our services" on Tuesday. 

Meta's Andy Stone confirmed "We're aware people are having trouble accessing our services. We are working on this now," late Tuesday morning in a post on X, before later stating "Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have difficulty accessing some of our services. We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we apologize for any inconvenience."

'Facebook and Instagram' were trending on X late Tuesday morning after users found themselves unable to use Meta's social platforms. "Love that I can always count on Twitter to confirm that Meta is down and we’ve all been logged out of Facebook and Instagram isn’t working," one user commented. 

While the scale of the outage is unclear, users in both the UK and the US have reported outages on Downdetector. Some 134,000 reports reported problems with Facebook's app and log-in, as well as the official website, with a similar number spike and a massive 315,000 reports in the US.

A similar number of Instagram users in the same locations reported issues, which began just after 10 am ET. 

Users on Facebook's app for iPhone were met with a "Session expired" popup and prompted to log in again, however tapping "Log In" delivered another error popup which states "Unable to log in. An unexpected error occurred."

Meta's Threads app, its text version of Instagram to rival X, was also affected by the outage, but no one seems to be bothered about that. The outage also affected Facebook Messenger, the company's popular messaging app for iPhone and Android.  

Users on X reported similar issues with their accounts, "has Facebook logged anyone out" one user asked, and still another said, "Has Facebook just booted anyone else out of their account and keeps giving random error messages anytime you try to log back in or is it just me?"

While the outage is sure to be an inconvenience for users, service problems will be reassuring for users who might have otherwise thought they'd been logged out, hacked, or perhaps even shadow-banned from the platforms. While less relevant than they perhaps once were amongst young people due to the prominence of TikTok, Facebook and Instagram remain some of the best iPhone apps you can download for staying connected with friends and family, as well as the wider world. The latter has pivoted in recent years to compete with TikTok, emphasizing short-form videos through its Reels feature. Search Logistics data indicates Facebook has 2.9 billion monthly users, with another 1.4 billion flocking to Instagram each month, making Meta the world's largest social media platform by some distance. 

Have you ever wondered why your iPhone captures such attractive-looking photos? Perhaps you’ve even noticed that your iPhone images look more dazzling than your DSLR or mirrorless camera. One reason, of course, is that incredibly vibrant Retina display – especially if your iPhone is packing the latest Super Retina XDR like the iPhone 15 Pro Max – but the key ingredient is computational photography. 

This AI-powered tech is the backbone of features such as Night Mode and Portrait Mode, but it’s also working in the background every time you capture a photo to ensure that the end product looks good. It’s balancing exposures, boosting colors, sharpening edges and much more. Essentially, it’s automatically editing your photos.

You might be wondering why I’m telling you to always edit your Instagram iPhone photos if the best iPhones will do it for you. First and foremost, photography is a form of artistic expression. Man Ray, Annie Leibovitz, Cindy Sherman, pick any famous photographer – including your favorite Instagram photographer – and they will have their own style. Now, style involves a lot more than just editing, but taking back control of how your images look, by not relying on AI algorithms, is a good start.

Photo editing is a great way to express your creativity 

Some photographers prefer to do as little editing as possible, while others use the editing process as the palette that paints over the initial sketch. Both are creative choices and neither is wrong nor right. Your hands are tied slightly if you want to follow the minimal-editing approach as an iPhone photographer, because computational photography has already worked its magic. But you can negate some of the effects in the editing suite to reach a more raw and rustic result, as well as adding your own stylistic choices.

Speaking of raw, if you have an iPhone 12 Pro (or later Pro), Apple ProRAW is the way to go. This is because the ‘automatic editing’ won’t be as intense, leaving you a comparatively blank palette to work from. Even if you decide to go down the minimal editing route, learning to edit your photos is a useful skill to have. Most photographers will perform small edits such as lifting the shadows and reducing the highlights, straightening the horizon, or cropping slightly to tidy the composition, for example. Editing doesn’t have to be complicated and time-consuming, in fact, it’s arguably better if it’s not. 

It can open the door to more complex editing techniques on your iPad or Mac 

This leads me to my next reason why you should edit your Instagram iPhone photos. Learning to edit now, on your iPhone, is a great grounding should you wish to take your photography further in the future and begin experimenting with more powerful editing suites such as the full-fat versions of Adobe Photoshop or Pixelmator Pro on macOS.

You see, jumping straight onto a computer and launching a professional editing suite can be a daunting experience. If, however, you’re already familiar with the editing basics, whether you’re using the Photos app’s in-built editing suite, more advanced iOS suites such as Adobe Photoshop Express, or even the Edit tab in Instagram, you’ll already have a decent understanding of how many of the basic functions such as exposure, highlights, saturation, and color balance work.

And there’s arguably no better place to learn how to edit than on your iPhone. And that’s because all of the aforementioned iOS editing apps are intuitive to use and above all fun. You’ll find plenty of photographers out there who loathe editing and see it as a necessary evil. But you’ll also find photographers who see capturing photos as an excuse to edit. Personally, I sit somewhere in between. 

But what I do know is that being introduced to Photoshop at college transformed my photography. Much like the sense of anticipation film photographers get when they send their negatives off to the printers, I couldn’t wait to load my files onto the computer when I got home to see what I had to work with. I then cherished the time spent refining my work to 'perfection'.

I also think that editing is a great way to subconsciously critique your own work. For starters, a photo that might have otherwise been lost to the cavernous network that is your Photos’ Recents album or even casually chucked onto your Instagram Feed and then promptly forgotten about is poured over, adjusted and ultimately discarded or proudly exported, if you decide to edit it.

There’s a myth that editing is used to fix bad photographs; this couldn’t be further from the truth. When you start editing photos you quickly learn that trying to roll the proverbial in glitter is a waste of time – a fine incentive to capture better photographs in the first place.

And occasionally, you’ll find that a photo you had previously resigned to the discard pile is given a new lease of life in the editing suite. Perhaps it looks better in black and white, maybe cropping the image to achieve a better composition has given it a new lease of life. Whatever the reason, editing is a great way to find that diamond in the rough.

Your Instagram will thank you 

Ultimately, edit your iPhone photos before posting and your Instagram Followers will thank you. Editing your images isn’t just about changing how they look. It’s also about learning a little discipline by taking the time to identify what does and doesn’t work. If you previously posted any old photo on your Instagram feed, you may find yourself curating your content more and finding your creative voice. 

So, try wrestling back control from Apple’s computational photography AI overlords this weekend. Find your style and learn an abundance of useful skills in the process, by editing your iPhone photos before you post them on Instagram.

This feature is part of iPhone Photography Week 2024. Expect new posts to appear daily, focused on making your photos shot with iPhone better than ever before.

Share your photos with iMore on X (Twitter) using #iMorePhotographyWeek

The world of the instant messaging app is a complicated one with more options than most of us could ever use. Your iPhone comes with iMessage built right into the Messages app, but there are tons of other options including Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp, and more. Two of those messaging apps are getting a divorce, and the reason for it could be the most interesting part of the whole story.

The Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook Messenger apps have long been intertwined in a way that is set to go away, although it hasn't been confirmed via a press release or official statement. Instead, the change was quietly pushed to a support page but the upshot is the same regardless. While previously Instagram users were able to message Facebook Messenger users and vice versa, that's going away. The fact that it ever existed in the first place might come as a surprise to some — it doesn't appear that it ever went live in Europe, which interesting for reasons we'll get to later.

As for when the loss of cross-platform messaging will take place, a vague "mid-December" has been offered. That means that we should expect the interoperability to end within the next week or so, so keep that in mind if you've been using one app or the other because there's a good chance you're soon going to need them both. We'll overlook the discussion of whether Instagram even needs a messaging platform attached to it for now.

Cross-app communication

Instagram and Facebook Messenger have been attached at the hip for a few years now, with the former's DMs acting as threads in the latter's app. But in updates to two different support pages on Meta's various websites make it clear the cross-platform communication feature is going away.

In a statement to The Verge, spokesperson Alex Dziedzan tried to clarify things.

“A few years ago, we introduced a new Messenger experience in Instagram DMs which enabled people to message and call a FB account (Messenger) from an Instagram account and vice versa,” they said. “Starting in mid-December, we will begin removing this feature. However, people can continue to message and call their contacts on Facebook, Instagram or Messenger.”

This move comes three years after the 2020 merging of the two systems, and while some people will no doubt be disappointed to have to download an extra app, this was perhaps always a move that was in the cards.

Meta's Facebook Messenger is already in the crosshairs of the European Commission and the Digital Markets Act, after all. The DMA was designed to ensure that no one company has undue control over the services that European citizens use, and it has the power for force interoperability if it's deemed platforms are abusing their power. To that end, Apple could potentially be forced to open iMessage up, allowing it to work with third-party apps like WhatsApp.

Interestingly, Meta is already working to ensure WhatsApp can be used with other competing instant messaging platforms, while it argues that Messenger shouldn't be regulated as a "core platform service" under the same act. However, with Messenger and Instagram so tightly intertwined it could potentially have made it difficult for Meta to argue against opening Messenger up when it was already working with other apps like Instagram. 

A coincidence?

Is it a coincidence that Meta has chosen to rip Instagram and Messenger apart at a time when its messaging platforms are under scrutiny for the way they don't work with platforms offered by other companies? It's possible, but Meta knows all too well that it could invite scrutiny by having two of its products linked in ways that aren't available to other companies.

Threads, Instagram's competitor to X, didn't launch in the EU over concerns that it would fall foul of the DMA due to the fact an Instagram account was required, among other things. Threads is thought to be getting around that by removing the need to have a profile in order to access the platform this month, but it's clear Meta knows Europe's eyes are on it right now and delinking Instagram and Messenger might just make sense, all things considered.

More from iMore

• Telegram files EU antitrust complaint against Apple
• Hands-on with Threads - Instagram's promising Twitter rival
• As X nears implosion, Instagram's Threads plans expansion to Europe

Chinese iPhone owners might not be able to download some of the world's most popular apps next year. That's if Apple is forced to remove them from the Chinese App Store following the implementation of new laws.

While the use of apps like Facebook, Instagram, and X is already blocked in China, the apps are available for download via the iPhone and iPad App Stores. That means that people can use them if they employ a VPN, something that is increasingly common among the younger population — but a new law could soon put a stop to that.

If Apple's discussions with the Chinese government don't come to a positive conclusion, all of those apps and more will be removed from the App Store in China, preventing people from downloading them.

The Chinese Firewall

China has long blocked access to Western websites and services in an attempt to better control the information its populace can access. But VPN use allows people to get around the so-called Great Firewall. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that a new law could prevent the apps from even being made available with Apple already in discussions with the government about the impact that will have on its users.

The report notes that "officials told Apple that it must strictly implement rules banning unregistered foreign apps, people familiar with the discussions said." It goes on to say that "Apple employees expressed concern over how the rules would be implemented and affect its users."

If Apple does have to remove unregistered apps from the App Store, the companies behind them will have the option of becoming registered in order to be reinstated. However, some apps simply won't be allowed through the registration process which amounts to an outright ban.

China outlined its plans to prevent unregistered apps from being used two months ago, with the law kicking in by July 2024.

With iPhones currently not allowing apps to be sideloaded — installed outside of the App Store — Chinese users might have to switch to Android devices if they want to continue to use their favorite Western services including Facebook, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

When Instagram launched Threads to take on Twitter, it immediately grew to a huge number of users almost overnight. That number has since dwindled and one of the big reasons could well be the lack of a web version. That, it seems, is changing.

With Threads only being available via an app on a phone, using it at a computer is impossible. That's less than ideal and now a new report claims that Instagram is getting ready to fix that oversight.

What's more, it might be about to do it very soon indeed.

Did you lose your thread?

That's according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal which claims a Thread website could launch within days. However, the report also notes that sources believe “launch plans aren’t final and could change.”

However, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri had said previously that the company was working on bringing Threads to a web browser and had suggested that there was a plan to start "using an early version internally for a week or two" as of last week.

Whether that means that Instagram's early testing has gone well and the wider launch is around the corner, we'll have to hang fire to see. Is it also possible that the WSJ report is with reference to internal testing rather than a global launch? It's possible, but one thing is clear — Threads needs that web version if it is really going to compete with Twitter, now known as X.

For those who don't yet have Threads, it's a free download from the App Store. You can sign in with your Instagram account and get started straight away with no need for waitlists and whatnot, too. The downside? It isn't available in the EU at all over privacy concerns, and it turns out that canceling an account once open is perhaps more tricky than it should be.

After much hype, Meta's Twitter killer app, Threads, launched earlier than planned today (July 6), and it's already making a huge impression.

At the time of writing, it's already gained 10 million followers in the 9 hours it's been available to users, and while it's still in its early days, users are clearly liking what's there so far.

You have to have an Instagram account in order to sign up for Threads, but it's this part that we suspect is why there are already so many users. It took us less than 5 minutes to go from downloading it from the App Store and Google Play Store, to posting a 'Thread' on iMore's own Thread profile.

But it's only when you start to scratch the surface that there are some obvious features missing that should be there, especially for a company like Meta.

First impressions are good so far

The layout is a cross between Instagram's DM section and Twitter - you scroll as you normally would, and you can like, repost, and quote an existing post as usual. You can upload images and videos as well, but posting your favorite Simpsons GIF seems to be unavailable for now.

The feed seems to be based on the accounts you've followed on Instagram, alongside its Explore algorithm, and who you've followed on Threads so far. It's a good mix for now, and the fact that there are no ads, yet, makes it fun to scroll.

Already we've seen people and brands like Netflix who have joined Threads, and this does feel different to Mastodon, Bluesky, and, even Hive. It's not just filled with users who are jumping from platform to platform - it's those who don't use social platforms much anyway and others who check their smartphones a few times a day.

A few have already told us that they like how 'easy' it is and how it gives the impression that it's 'TikTok for text', which makes us wonder that this could finally be the social platform that could, not only replace Twitter, but others that have followed in its path.

It is easy to use, and seeing so many people join up already is an encouraging sign that Threads could be the one that topples Twitter.

Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri has been posting some Instagram Stories since Thread's launch, and he's said that the ability to move your account to different platforms, such as Mastodon, will be available soon, which gives us hope that we won't be bound to Meta's universe.

But we think some other features need more of a priority for now.

Accessibility is an easy lose here, Meta

Its lack of accessibility features is simply baffling, especially for a huge company like Meta. It shows that Threads was rushed out to take advantage of Elon's latest misjudgment with Twitter last weekend, where users were limited to viewing a certain number of tweets.

There is no way currently to alt text, no inverted colors, no way of enlarging the text or images in any way - nothing.

But it doesn't stop there - there's no web app, so you can't check on your feed in Safari for example - it can only be on an iPhone or Android device. There's also no way of showing a feed of just your followers, and if you want to delete your Thread account, you also have to delete Instagram.

These are basic features, and before Mosseri and his team give themselves a pat on the back for the millions of signups, they risk forgetting why these platforms are made in the first place.

To communicate with everyone on a level playing field, to showcase your passions in the best way. And to cut those with hearing and visual impairments out from the first release feels backwards, and wrong.

Focus on that first, and that's when Threads can truly measure up to being a Twitter replacement for everyone, not just the few.

The next big social media application is here as Meta's Instagram Threads looks to take pride of place on your iPhone.

Threads, Meta's rival to Twitter with text-based communication and short replies, has finally arrived, and it looks to be a hit already, with over 10 million users in just a few hours after launch.

Signing up for Threads is very simple, thanks to its integration with Instagram, but that means you need to have an Instagram account. This how-to presumes you're one of the one billion Instagram users worldwide. If you are, here's how to sign up for Threads.

How to sign up for Threads, an Instagram app.

1. Download Instagram Threads on the App Store (the app is available on iOS and Android in over 100 countries at launch)
2. The app will show your Instagram username as soon as you launch for the first time
3. Import your Profile Pic and Bio from Instagram, or write your own, you can't pick a different username to your Instagram account

4. Select whether you want a Public profile or a Private Profile
5. Threads will show all the accounts you follow on Instagram, choose to Follow all or select manually
6. Tap Join Threads

Signing up for Threads is incredibly simple thanks to its Instagram integration. That's probably one of the main factors as to why the user base has grown so quickly as it takes seconds to set up your account.

Threads is here to take over

Threads is set to become the next generation of social media apps after the recent turmoil of Twitter and Reddit has pushed users away from the platforms. Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg hopes he can capitalize on the current state of social media applications to take control of Twitter's market share.

The app feels fluid and fun to use, albeit a little barebones. You can check your feed, write new threads, search for users, and check your followers from the bottom of the app in a very similar way to Instagram. None of it is rocket science, and you'll feel right at home if you've used Instagram for years.

Now you've signed up for Threads, start following your friends and family as well as public profiles like @imoregram, and if you want to follow a how-to wizz, I'm also on the platform @jadisotto. See you there.

Instagram's Twitter rival, Threads, already has more than 30 million users despite only being available for a matter of days, according to Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Threads launched earlier today and allows users to post short messages of up to 500 characters. Threads is an attempt to capitalize on Twitter's turmoil following the acquisition by Elon Musk last year, and it looks like users are already on board.

Zuckerberg says the key to the platform's success will be its friendliness. In a reply on the Threads app asking if "Anyone think this can become bigger than Twitter!?" Zuckerberg replied, "It'll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will."

Threads is now available in over 100 countries, including the U.S and the U.K, but anyone in Europe will have to wait because of regulatory concerns to do with the data being used by the app, which according to the App Store may include health, financial, and browsing data linked to users' identities.

The start of an endless thread

Meta says that the current version of Threads is an "initial version," and the company says, "Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text,"

Despite over 10 million sign-ups thanks to the easy integration with Instagram, there have been minor issues, particularly for those running iOS 17 developer beta. Obviously, anyone that uses a beta expects crashing, but currently, some users are unable to create a thread with images or manually select who they want to follow during sign-up.

These issues should be ironed out fairly quickly, either with an update to the Threads app or with the launch of iOS 17 Public Beta later this month. As it stands, Threads is on the right path to becoming one of the best apps on iPhone.

Meta, the owner of Facebook, has revealed its new app, Threads, a rival to Twitter, will go live on July 6 after weeks of back and forths between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s owner Elon Musk.

The Threads app looks very similar to Twitter, and Meta describes the new social media platform as a “text-based conversation app”. Users will be able to follow their Instagram followers from the start, use their same username, and reply in threads similar to a Tweet. 

Apps like Mastodon and Blue Sky have tried to gain momentum in the midst of Twitter’s turmoil since the platform was purchased by Musk last year. Although, neither has managed to gain mainstream popularity. Threads, however, has Meta behind it, and while many dislike Meta’s platforms, the company knows how to succeed in social media. 

Instagram has over 1 billion users, which means if Threads is launched correctly, it could gain instant traction in a world where users are getting tired of Twitter and Reddit’s recent shenanigans.

A fight to the death?

Last month, Zuckerberg and Musk agreed to a cage fight to settle their differences following months of Twitter arguments. 

After the Threads launch announcement, Musk responded, “Thank goodness they’re so sanely run”.

The launch of Threads comes as Twitter continues to make drastic changes that impact its loyal userbase, including the restriction of the number of tweets users can see alongside paywalled benefits behind the premium, Twitter Blue.

It will be interesting to see how Threads does once it launches on July 6, as the world is clamoring for the next successful social media platform following Twitter’s continued disarray and the closure of third-party Reddit apps last month. Although, you’ll probably need to let Meta have lots of personal data to even open an account.

Meta is making changes to three of its biggest brands in an attempt to make them safer for young people. New parental controls are coming to Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram.

Some of these changes are designed to try and make sure that teenagers don't spend longer on the platforms than they should, while others are all about giving parents a better understanding of what their teens are up to on those platforms.

All of the new features are rolling out starting today, although there are some location limitations to take into consideration.

New Messenger tools

The changes were confirmed in a press release with Meta saying that "parents and guardians can access Messenger supervision tools and resources from leading experts to support their teens through the Meta Family Center."

The feature, called Parental Supervision on Messenger, is available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada starting today and the company plans to expand it to other countries in the coming months.

"These tools allow parents to see how their teen uses Messenger, from how much time they’re spending on messaging to providing information about their teen’s message settings," the statement reads. "These tools do not allow parents to read their teen’s messages."

Better Instagram privacy

Meta also says that it is working to protect people from unwanted Instagram DMs so it's testing new features that will limit how people can interact with and message other people who don't already follow them on the platform.

"Before being able to message someone who doesn’t follow them, people must now send an invite to get their permission to connect," the statement says. "People can only send one invite at a time and can’t send more until the recipient accepts the invitation to connect." Those message requests are limited to just text, too.

Soft Facebook time limits

Finally, Meta says that Facebook will soon start seeing notifications that warn them when they've spent 20 minutes on the social network. They'll be prompted to take a step back, although they won't be blocked from plowing on.

"We’re also exploring a new nudge on Instagram that suggests teens close the app if they are scrolling Reels at night," Meta says.

There are other changes including some additional parental supervision features on Instagram and you can of course read all about them in that Meta blog post.

Have you ever wondered how to delete an Instagram account? Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps on the planet and gives us many reasons to love seeing photos of our friends and our favorite celebrities.

Like every social media app, there are times when we either need a break or want to delete the service for good. Luckily, it's pretty easy to delete an Instagram account, and you can do it on your iPhone or on a web browser.

Here's how to delete an Instagram account in just a few steps.

How to delete an Instagram account on iPhone

There used to only be one way to delete an Instagram account, and that was using a Mac or PC via a web browser. Now, Instagram makes it much easier to delete or deactivate an account directly from the app on your iPhone. Here's how to do it.

1. Open Instagram
2. Head to your profile and tap the burger icon in the top right
3. Tap Settings and privacy

4. Tap Accounts Centre
5. Select Personal details and then Account ownership and control
6. Follow the steps for Deactivation or deletion

Keep in mind once you've followed through with deletion all your posts, comments, likes, and followers will be removed. This is a permanent decision. 

If you opt to deactivate your Instagram account, you'll be able to return to the platform whenever you choose as long as you remember your login details.

Once you've followed the steps and agreed to the terms of deletion or deactivation, you're now set to get on with your life, Instagram free. If you don't have access to an iPhone and want to delete an Instagram account, you can do so via Mac or PC.

How to delete an Instagram account on Mac

1. Launch your web browser of choice and head to Instagram's Delete Your Account page
2. Login with your account details
3. Tell Instagram why you've chosen to delete your account by selecting an option from the dropdown menu
4. Type in your password to confirm the deletion

5. Click Permanently delete my account
6. Click OK to confirm the deletion

An Instagram free life

So you've deleted Instagram, and now you feel incredibly liberated. What now? Well, the best iPhones on the market have incredible cameras, and you don't need an app like Instagram to share your photos. 

If you want to get the best out of your iPhone's camera, check out iMore's Ultimate Guide for the Camera app. Before you know it, you'll be social media free and your camera roll will be filled with beautiful photography.

Meta has been facing turbulent times since it went from the Facebook branding to the metaverse-friendly Meta brand. The company had begun integrating and supporting NFTs on its platforms, and now it is backtracking on that support, after what looks like a failed pilot.

Meta will be winding down digital collectibles, a.k.a. NFTs, across Facebook and Instagram, said the company's commerce and fintech head, Stephane Kasriel, in a Twitter thread. It appears Meta is shifting its focus. The news comes soon after the news of Meta working on a potential Twitter rival.

Meta will find other ways to support creators

Meta's rebrand was slathered with a lot of Web3 and crypto stuff, including NFT support on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram. The NFT support was first announced in May 2022, and it looks like it's coming to an end in less than a year. Kasriel did say that Meta will be supporting NFT creators to amplify their work, although it remains to be seen how that will happen without integrated support for digital collectibles on their platforms.

It appears that payments will be a big part of Meta's new strategy. Kasriel tweeted, "And we’ll continue investing in fintech tools that people and businesses will need for the future. We’re streamlining payments w/ Meta Pay, making checkout & payouts easier, and investing in messaging payments across Meta."

He also said that monetization remains a priority, and that Meta will "focus on areas where we can make impact at scale, such as messaging and monetization opps for Reels." The company has been heavily criticized in the past for poor monetization for creators, especially with Reels payouts. 

The crypto space has been rather unstable for a while now, so one of the primary companies with a recent and huge web3 pivot backtracking on some of is unlikely to inspire confidence. With this move, you will soon be unable to have an NFT profile picture on Instagram, and plans for augmented reality NFTs on Instagram stories on devices like Apple's best iPhone, the iPhone 14 Pro, are unlikely to materialize.

When it comes to social media, Instagram has been a part of our daily lives for over a decade. Throughout the years, the app has evolved from only photos to adding video content and quick life updates through stories. Using Instagram’s dark mode is a surefire way to make your time on the app better and even save you some battery life.

When it comes to using Instagram’s dark mode, the initial benefit is zoning into your content by dimming down the surroundings so that photos and videos burst off of your screen — once you’ve tried dark mode you’ll be wondering why you’ve been staring into white Instagram backgrounds for so long.

With our hectic daily lives, we use far more iPhone battery than ever before. It doesn’t matter if you have the best iPhone on the market or one of the best iPhone battery packs to get you through the day, any opportunity to save a little battery is an opportunity worth taking. If you own an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro, using Instagram’s dark mode alongside iOS’s dark mode will make a world of difference to your OLED device. OLED displays utilize self-emissive technology which means that each pixel can turn on and off. So when your Instagram background is black, the pixels are completely off and your battery is more efficient.

How to use dark mode on Instagram

This simple tweak to your iOS appearance will not only make Instagram better but also give you the benefits of dark mode across your device. This means that if you own an OLED iPhone, you’ll see some battery efficiency and hopefully be able to stay away from your charger that little while longer. If you haven’t upgraded to a newer iPhone yet fret not as dark mode also benefits your eyes after a long day of staring at your smartphone. 

Instagram has today announced the rollout of its Notes feature to new places, including the U.K. and other European countries.

The Notes feature lets Instagram users to post a short message of text and emojis — 60 characters or less — to the top of other people's inboxes. There, they'll then be able to reply to those notes with replies turning into direct messages.

They'll have to reply quickly, though. Notes automatically disappear after just 24 hours and once they're gone, they're gone.

Insta-gone

Ephemeral messages are nothing new of course, but Instagram says that it thinks people will use Notes for things that are most suited to messages that don't hang around.

Instagram announced Notes last year, saying that "during testing, we learned that people liked having a lightweight, easy way to share what’s on their mind and start conversations." The social network says that some use cases include asking for recommendations or sharing whatever they are currently doing at any given moment.

Sure, that might sound like something many people already use Twitter or Facebook to do, but Instagram isn't deterred. "Notes give people a casual and spontaneous way to express themselves and connect with each other," the company says.

The short 60-character messages are of course limited in length, something that should also lend itself to posting simple questions and statements. But whether Notes will be a big feature for you will likely depend on just how you use Instagram already and, likely, whether you have another avenue for those kinds of things.

Owners of iPhones are of course not short of ways to communicate with their friends and loved ones, with iMessage being one of the biggest selling points of even the best iPhones. But with an App Store full of ways to chat, do people really need to do it in their photo-sharing app as well?

Instagram says its research says yes. Yes, they do.

Instagram is bringing some long overdue features to its experience on mobile and the web.

Today, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri took to Twitter to announce that the company is launching two new updates for the social media service. The first is one that the iOS app should have had years ago, and Mosseri agreed. He revealed that, with an update to the app on the iPhone, creators will now be able to schedule posts.

Mosseri says that users will now be able to schedule a post as far out as 75 days and, of course, edit that schedule or post before it goes live. That's a big win for users of the platform as it has been behind other services like Twitter which launched scheduled posts years ago. Instagram is surely playing some catching up with this one.

There's a new web app too

In addition to launching scheduled posts, the company is also officially rolling out a new experience on the web, something that originally popped up for some users a week ago.

The new version of Instagram for the web adapts the user experience to be less of a blown-up iOS app and more custom-fit for the desktop. With a new side menu and dynamic design, the new website is made to work better for laptops and monitors.

In a statement to The Verge, Meta spokesperson Christine Pai said that "we are always working on ways to improve the Instagram.com web experience for people. We recently made updates to modernize Instagram.com, including improving the navigation, optimizing the video experience, and introducing a more immersive way to DM.”

Both of the changes to Instagram are starting to roll out today. If you don't see the features showing up just yet, keep checking for an update through the App Store or website. You can watch Mosseri's video announcing the new features below:

The Instagram iPad app continues to be a unicorn none of us will ever see.

As reported by The Verge, a number of users on Instagram have noticed a new experience when using Instagram on the web. According to those users, the web app has been updated from being a blown-up version of the iPhone app into a proper web experience for the desktop.

Right now, only a small number of users have noticed the new experience. This is likely due to Instagram rolling out the new experience over time as well as the fact that most people just use the Instagram app on their phone rather than even coming across the web app.

What does the new web app look like?

As you can see in the screenshot below, instead of a bigger version of the iPhone or Android app, the new web app features a left-side navigation menu, something more appropriate for using the service in the browser.

The update appears to go further than just the menu. The company appears to have also improved the video experience as well as direct messages. In a statement to The Verge, Meta spokesperson Christine Pai said that "we are always working on ways to improve the Instagram.com web experience for people. We recently made updates to modernize Instagram.com, including improving the navigation, optimizing the video experience, and introducing a more immersive way to DM.”

While it's great to see Instagram continue to improve the web experience for users, we're now over a decade without an iPad app (or tablet app in general). The company has said pretty clearly that it has no intention to ever make an iPad app which, in 2022, seems odd. Instagram may soon stand alone as the only major social media platform that does not have a dedicated app for tablets.

You can use the iPhone app in Stage Manager on your iPad, though!

Are you having trouble using Instagram right now? You're definitely not alone! It looks like the social network is down. 

According to Downdetector, thousands of users are reporting issues accessing the service. The reports reached as high as 8,000 per hour currently. Some users are reporting that the app will simply crash every time they attempt to open it. Others report issues trying to log in.

Instagram is now confirming the news via Twitter. 

It's currently unclear exactly what the issue is. We'll keep an eye out to see if the company says anything about it or let everyone know that the issue is resolved, so stay tuned!

This story is developing

Meta has this week revealed that the popular photo-sharing and social media app Instagram now boasts 2 billion monthly active users, as the platform closes in on Facebook. 

Meta announced its Q3 earnings on October 26, clocking revenue of $27.71 billion.

Meta held its earnings report Wednesday, and its share price tumbled more than 20% in premarket trading Thursday as the company announced falling sales, rising costs, and struggles with advertising. 

2 billion

A bright spot was Instagram's success, as the platform passed 2 billion subscribers. As Bloomberg notes it is closing in on Facebook's 2.96 billion users "in a sign of the social media giant’s shifting makeup."

Meta's WhatsApp messaging service remains its most popular service by far with 3.71 billion monthly users worldwide. 

Meta has endured some tumultuous financial performance over recent months, going to great pains to highlight the impact of Apple's App Tracking Transparency measures which has made it almost impossible to track users across third-party apps for the purposes of targeted advertising. 

Apple announced the change last year in iOS 14, and CEO Tim Cook says that user response to the feature has been overwhelmingly positive. The change has cost some social media firms big time, with Apple drawing criticism as it further invests in its own advertising pushes, including the rollout of more advertising placements in its App Store just this week. 

Founder and Chief Mark Zuckerberg promised significant changes to make the company more efficient and says the company has increased scrutiny of its operating expenses. 

The company also recently unveiled its new Meta Quest Pro as it bets the farm on the power of the Metaverse. Apple too is set to enter the space next year with a rumored Apple VR headset.  

Instagram itself has shifted focused drastically in recent years, with a major emphasis on its video format Reels as it seeks to emulate the success of TikTok. 

Instagram has been fined €405M, or around $402 million, over its handling of data belonging to kids.

The fine, the second-largest given to a company over GDPR failures, comes via the Irish Data Protection Commission and was first reported by Politico. The fine also becomes the largest ever to be given to a Meta-owned company and was handed down over Instagram's mishandling of children's data including their email addresses and phone numbers.

Meta isn't happy

In a statement given to Politico, Meta said that the Irish inquiry and subsequent fine were based on settings that haven't been a part of the Instagram app for more than a year. “This inquiry focused on old settings that we updated over a year ago, and we’ve since released many new features to help keep teens safe and their information private," a Meta spokesperson told Politico. "Anyone under 18 automatically has their account set to private when they join Instagram, so only people they know can see what they post, and adults can’t message teens who don’t follow them. We engaged fully with the DPC throughout their inquiry, and we’re carefully reviewing their final decision.”

The complaint itself relates to how children's information was processed by business accounts on Instagram, with an inquiry finding that some accounts were being set to "public" by default, TechCrunch reports.

What will happen next remains to be seen, but despite the statement this isn't a good look for Instagram or Meta — two companies that continue to come under pressure for their privacy and wellbeing issues, especially related to teens.

However, Instagram is right in saying that it has taken steps to protect kids and their data. It already added more robust time limits that can be controlled by parents, while people can also prevent sensitive content from being pushed into their feeds. Adults can also no longer send DMs to under-18s unless in specific circumstances, too.

Instagram is taking more measures to combat the narrative that the platform is damaging to young people by updating its Sensitive Content Control feature.

The feature launched last summer as a way for users to determine how much sensitive content they view in their feeds. Starting today, any new users under the age of 16 will be automatically placed with the "Less" option enabled for Sensitive Content Control. Instagram's press release says this is intended to make it "more difficult for young people to come across potentially sensitive content or accounts in Search, Explore, Hashtag Pages, Reels, Feed Recommendations and Suggested Accounts."

Additionally, any user under the age of 18 will be unable to pick the "More" state in the Sensitive Content Control and will only have the options of "Standard" or "Less."
If you want to view your Sensitive Content Control settings, you can do so right in the app, following these steps in the Instagram app:

1. Tap on your profile. 
2. Tap the menu in the top right corner
3. Tap Settings
4. Tap Account
5. Tap Sensitive content control

From here, you'll be able to change the state of your account between More, Standard, or Less if you're over 18 years of age. If not, you will only have the Standard and Less options available. 

Instagram still pushing toward video

These changes to its Sensitive Content Control options may be way more received than many other announcements the company has made recently. The platform has been pretty clear with its intention to dive more into the video side of Instagram with much less emphasis on photos. It has tested a new design with limited users that resembled TikTok in many ways.

So far there's no real indication if these changes are still being tested or if they will roll out to every user anytime soon, but it's clear that Instagram is trying to keep up with TikTok, which has dominated the social media space as of recently.

What you need to know

• A new startup is offering insurance for influencers worried about being hacked.
• Accounts can be insured and paid out on if hacked, giving influencers time to get the issue fixed.
• Prices start at $8 per month depending on the account.

Obviously all of those photos of your lunch and the neighbor's cat are important, but for those who make a living from their Instagram account, losing access to it can be a big deal. Now, a company is offering an insurance product that will pay out should they get hacked.

An Israel-based startup called Notch is offering plans that start from just $8 per month, with TechCrunch reporting that policies will pay up should an account be lost. A daily payment will be made to cover losses of income, with each policy created based on a user's individual circumstances.

In one example, a $38 per month policy would cover an influencer for a total of $22,000 per year should the worst happen.

Each account is unique, which is why Notch says it takes that into account when putting together coverage.

The policies only cover hacks, so Instagram influencers who wake up one morning to find their account has been taken over by someone else should be good to go. But those who wind up suspended are out of luck — at least for now. Notch says that it will likely offer an "add-on to the policy in the near future, which covers suspensions as well."

While this is unlikely to be of much use to most of us, there must be a market for this kind of thing otherwise Notch wouldn't be putting in the work to offer a solution. Influencers who rely on their Instagram account to make money can be wiped out when they lose it, something this will hopefully help with — at least for a period long enough that the account can be returned to its rightful owner.

The new company is already off to a solid start — it's been backed by creators Nas Daily and Casey Neistat and has so far raised $7 million via "an extended seed round led by Lightspeed Ventures."

What you need to know

• Instagram now allows people to delete their accounts from within the iPhone app.
• Apple requires apps to allow deletion of accounts if they also allow their creation, starting today.
• Instagram account deletion can be canceled within 30 days of initiation if needed.

Instagram has announced that iPhone owners can now delete their account from within the app for the first time — hours before Apple's grace period expired.

Apple previously told developers that they had until June 30 to comply with a new requirement — all apps that allowed accounts to be created must also allow them to be deleted. Instagram has now flicked that switch, allowing in-app account deletion. The Meta-owned outfit waited until the last minute to do so.

Apple's requirements were pretty strict, too. The company told developers that they couldn't hide the option to delete an account, and account pausing or disabling wasn't sufficient — "people should be able to delete the account along with their personal data," it said.

Now, TechCrunch reports that Instagram has done what was needed, seemingly trying to claim it was its own idea all along.

Anyone who chooses to delete their account will be able to cancel the move by logging back into Instagram within 30 days, giving people chance to have deleter's remorse long before it's too late.

While Instagram is definitely one of the best iPhone apps for sharing and viewing photos and short videos, privacy concerns are a common issue for a company that Meta paid a small fortune for ten years ago. Being able to delete accounts is seen as an important aspect of all App Store apps that allow their creation, but apps like Instagram — those that collect private date — are likely to be the main target of this kind of requirement from Apple.

What you need to know

• Instagram is testing a new look with a limited number of users.
• The new Instagram layout features full-screen photos and videos.
• It isn't clear when or if this new look will roll out to everyone.

Instagram is testing a new change to the way people see photos and videos in their Feed, with everything now taking up much more of the screen.

The new look, which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says is now being tested by some people but not the wider Instagram community, makes images and video appear full-screen, just as they might in another app that does something very similar — TikTok.

Zuck says that "photos are still an important part of Instagram, and we're working on ways to improve the way they show up in a full-screen Feed." The new interface is similar to one that Instagram had already been testing, although it does appear to be slightly tweaked — there is no white space as was the case previously.

Instagram also told TechCrunch that it will be making changes to the way the navigation bar works, again by testing things with a limited number of users. That means that we could see the Compose button moved back to where it once lived, although that remains to be seen.

There is no indication of how many people are involved in Instagram's testing, nor when or even if we can expect this new look to be rolled out to everyone across the entire userbase, unfortunately.

Instagram has long been one of the best iPhone apps for sharing photos and videos, but the app has come under fire for an increased focus on the latter as it seeks to ensure it can compete with TikTok. This latest test suggests it might be leaning back towards photos once again.

What you need to know

• An Instagram bug is causing the same Stories to be served over and over.
• A Meta spokesperson says that Instagram is aware of the issue and working on fixing it.

Instagram users are currently suffering from an infuriating bug that means they can't stop watching the same Stories over and over — but at least Meta is working on it.

The issue has been reported across Twitter and Reddit over the last day or so, with people noting that they are being repeatedly shown Instagram stories that they have already seen. No matter how many times they watch them, the same Stories are served over and over and that's less than ideal. Especially if you're following some whose Stories are, shall we say, not good.

Thankfully, help might be at hand. The Verge reports that Meta is aware of the issue and that it is "working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible." People are still complaining of the issue on Twitter, though, so things definitely aren't back to normal as of the writing of this post.

Instagram Stories are short videos that are similar to what you might expect to find on TikTok and while they can be some of the best iPhone content around — if you follow the right people — variety is indeed the spice of life. Seeing the same story over and over isn't anyone's idea of fun, no matter how many times that cat falls off the sofa.

Fingers are definitely crossed that Meta and Instagram's engineers can come up with a fix for this sooner rather than later and that it doesn't require a new update to be pushed to the App Store to implement it. In the meantime, can I interest you in a look out of the window instead?

No, me neither.

What you need to know

• Instagram is getting more parental controls and features for teens.
• Parents can now initiate invitations to supervise teen use and can set specific times during the day or week to limit their teen's use of Instagram.
• Teens will also see new nudges designed to help them discover a different topic if they're repeatedly looking at the same type of content.

Instagram has today announced new parental control features and protections for teens, including limiting use time.

In a release Tuesday parent company Meta unveiled new tools for Instagram and its Quest headsets.

Over on Instagram, parents and guardians can now send invitations to teens to initiate supervision tools, previously this could only be sent by a teenager. New controls include setting specific times during the day or week that can be used to limit how long a teen spends using Instagram, as well as more information about when a teen reports an account or post including who was reported and why.

These are already available in the U.S. and are coming to the UK, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Canada, France and Germany, and more this month. Instagram wants these solutions rolled out globally before the end of the year.

Instagram is also trying to support teens with nudges that will encourage them to explore new topics if they spend too much time looking at a particular type of content:

The platform cited an external study that states nearly 60% of respondents felt nudges improved their social media experience, with one in five teens on Instagram switching to a new topic when prompted.

Instagram is also adding new reminders for teens to turn on Take a Break if they've been scrolling reels for too long. Instagram is one of the best iPhone apps for social media connection and sharing pictures and videos on devices like the iPhone 13. The platform has put a lot of effort into Reels in a bid to compete with the success of TikTok's short-form video content.

You can read more about the changes to Instagram here.

What you need to know

• Instagram is expanding its Sensitive Content Controls feature.
• The content blocking feature was previously limited to the Explore tab.
• Instagram is rolling the feature out to Reels, search, and more.

Instagram is expanding its existing Sensitive Content Controls beyond the currently limited implementation, according to a report. The protections are designed to prevent people from seeing content that isn't suitable for them but were previously only available via the Explore tab.

Instagram first announced the new Sensitive Content Controls feature last year but then left it hamstrung by limiting its scope. Now, TechCrunch reports that the social media outfit is doing something it should have done a year ago — bringing the same protections to the rest of the Instagram app.

According to the wording in a Help Center post, the protections will soon apply to search, Reels, hashtag pages, "accounts you might follow" and suggested posts that appear in users' main feeds. The report notes that it could take weeks for everyone to see the change implemented, however.

While Instagram doesn't specifically say what the Sensitive Content Controls look for, it does say that "content that may depict violence, such as people fighting" is one example of something the feature will block if asked to. "Pictures of people in see-through clothing" and content that is "sexually explicit or suggestive" will also be axed.

In terms of the controls themselves, users can either choose to have such content removed from their feeds, leave things as they are, or specifically say that they are fine with things. The button is actually called "more" which is interesting, although those who are under 18 will not be able to select that option at all.

Instagram has long been one of the best iPhone apps for those who want to share and enjoy photos and short videos, but the limiting of content controls to the Explore tab has been a strange decision since it was made. This latest change is a welcome one, and one that Instagram users should definitely consider checking out if they're concerned about the content they or their teens are seeing.

What you need to know

• Instagram is rolling out support for AMBER Alerts.
• AMBER Alerts are sent when a child is missing.
• Instagram says that alerts will be sent to people based on their IP address and location.

Instagram has announced the addition of support for AMBER Alerts, allowing users to see and share the vital messages for the first time. AMBER Alerts are issued to alert people of a missing child in the hope that they can be found more speedily.

In a move announced via the Meta blog, the company confirmed that the feature is now rolling out in the United States and other countries.

If anyone receives an AMBER Alert they know that a search is underway in their specific area. Instagram says that alerts will be sent to people based on their IP address to ensure only those in the correct parts of the world will see them.

Users in multiple countries around the world will now begin to see AMBER Alerts when the need arises.

Instagram is one of the best iPhone apps for sharing photos and that also means that millions of people around the world already have the app installed on their devices. If this new addition means that children can be located more easily, it's one that is very much welcome.

What you need to know

• Instagram is currently suffering from an outage.
• While some people are unaffected, others are unable to use the social network.
• Issues range from page refreshes timing out to not being able to sign in at all.

If you're trying to get Instagram to load and finding that you're struggling, you aren't alone. A number of people are now finding that the photo and video sharing service isn't behaving itself, although it doesn't appear to be an issue impacting everyone right now.

The problem appears to have started around an hour ago and shows little sign of improvement. While some people are reporting being logged out of their accounts and not being able to sign back in, others say that Instagram simply refuses to refresh their feeds. Just imagine the ad money Meta must be losing!

Neither Instagram nor Meta have said anything about the issue so far, but that seems likely to change if the problems persist.

Instagram has long been one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to share photos and short videos, but it faces stiff competition from the likes of TikTok and YouTube. Outages like this won't help, of course, with plenty of options available should Instagram not work when people try to use it.

However, things aren't looking much better for TikTok right now — DownDetector reports that it too is having its own problems.

Those who are currently unable to use Instagram or TikTok should probably find something else to do and then to try again in a little while. Apple TV+ has plenty for you to pass the time with, for example!

This is a developing story

What you need to know

• Instagram has made some tweaks to the way it looks.
• A new app icon is brighter and more colorful than ever.
• Instagram users will see a new font being used.

Instagram has announced a new design refresh that includes new a new font, updated logo, and more. But none of this is going to come to your iPad because it still doesn't get an app to call its own.

Instagram announced the changes in a new blog post that outlined three changes that it thinks we should all be aware of, starting with a more colorful app icon.

• The gradient is reimagined with vibrant colors to make it feel illuminated and alive, and to signal moments of discovery.
• Our new typeface, Instagram Sans, is designed with our heritage in mind and includes multiple global scripts.
• Our new layout and design system is content-forward and celebrates creativity, simplicity and self-expression.

That new app icon is definitely on the bright side. Some people, myself included, had already noticed the icon change a few days ago — now it's all official. Snark aside, it's now one of the best iPhone icons you're likely to see in terms of being instantly recognizable.

In terms of a new font, welcome to Instagram Sans.

Finally, Instagram (again) reminds us that it is determined to put content and creators first via new marketing layouts. They "showcase full-screen imagery, reference the in-app experience and celebrate the creativity we see from our community every day" so yay for that.

But again, there's still no Instagram iPad app so, really, does any of this matter? Does an icon getting a refresh really happen if there are no iPad users to see it?

What you need to know

• Instagram is working on a change that will limit how many Stories people see from individuals.
• Only the first three Stories will appear by default.
• People can tap to see all Stories if they want to.

Have you ever been watching Instagram Stories and been faced with someone who just won't stop sharing? The social network is testing a change that will cut that out entirely, limiting the number of Stories that you see by default.

The change appears to be rolling out to a limited number of testers right now with Tecnoblog noting that those people see just three Stories from the people they follow — but they can tap a "Show All" button if they want to lay eyes on the all of them.

This is potentially a huge change for Instagram creators who can now thread up to 100 Stories together, creating an overarching narrative. While that will still be possible, it's likely that only the first three Stories will be seen by a ton of people — vastly reducing the engagement on all subsequent posts.

As someone who has seen people post an excessive number of Stories in the past, this is a change I'm absolutely here for — but I can also see why creators could be wary of it. That could well be why Instagram is only testing the feature right now, rather than rolling it out to everyone. Instagram is already one of the best iPhone apps for watching and sharing short videos, despite its ongoing battle with TikTok. Whether this change will improve it or not will likely depend on whether you're watching or posting content.

What you need to know

• NFTs are coming to Instagram.
• The platform will this week begin testing the sharing of digital collectibles on its platform with a handful of creators.
• There won't be any fees for posting or sharing.

Instagram has this week announced that it will begin testing the sharing of NFTs on the platform with a small pool of select creators.

Head Adam Mosseri took to Twitter stating:

In his announcement, Mosseri confirmed that a very small group of select creators will be able to post and share digital collectibles on the platform. The first supported platforms will be Ethereum and Polygon, with support coming later for Flow and Solana. Third-party wallet support will be available for Rainbow, MetaMask, and Trust Wallet, with more on the way soon.

The feature will let people who own or create NFTs share them on Instagram, either as posts or stories or even in Messages. Instagram says that it is starting small so it can learn from the community, and highlighted the tension of Instagram being a fundamentally centralized platform, working with NFTs and blockchain tech that's all about decentralization.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed in his own post on Facebook that NFTs would also be coming to that platform "soon", and that the company has plans for augmented reality NFTs on Instagram stories powered by Spark AR, allowing for the viewing of 3D NFTs in physical spaces on devices like Apple's best iPhone, the iPhone 13.

Meta has already announced plans to support transactions for digital goods including NFTs in its Horizon Worlds metaverse, drawing criticism over plans to charge 47.5% commission on sales including a hardware platform fee of 30% for sales made on marketplaces like the Meta Quest Store, as well as a 17.5% Horizon Worlds fee.

What you need to know

• Instagram is testing a new interface that makes for full-screen photos and videos.
• The new video interface looks similar to what TikTok has been doing for years.
• The new interface is currently being tested with a limited number of users, but it isn't clear how many or when the change will roll out to everyone.

Instagram is testing new full-screen photos and videos as the social network makes further changes in an attempt to turn itself into TikTok.

The move, announced by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri via Twitter, is being tested with a number of users although it isn't clear how many will see the new interface as part of this phase. We can expect that the same change will be made available to all users eventually, depending on user feedback.

The new interface is a cleaner look than the one Instagram users will be familiar with and does immediately remind of TikTok. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, especially in terms of photos — the change means photos are larger and potentially more detailed as a result. If Instagram does make the change permanently, expect people to change the way they take photos in order to make better use of the new look.

Instagram is already one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to share still photos and videos, but its lunch has been eaten somewhat by TikTok.

In a follow-up tweet, Mosseri also confirmed that the new more vertical look will also permeate through other parts of the Instagram interface including the profile view, composer flow, and the "rest of Instagram."

What you need to know

• Instagram has announced changes to its platform including ranking that prioritizes original content.
• Product tags are being made available to everyone.
• People will be able to add a tag to their profile that explains who they are or what they do.

Instagram has announced changes to the way it ranks content as well as improvements to product and people tags that will open them up to more people than ever before.

Perhaps the biggest news is the fact that Instagram is going to work to promote more original content rather than reposts, something that should allow original creators to get more exposure than those ripping them off. That's the theory, anyway.

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri also says that product tags are now being made available to everyone, allowing people to add tags onto content that drives clicks to other profiles and products. It's all about making sure that creators get credit for their work, he said via Twitter.

Finally, Mosseri also said that enhanced profile tags will allow people to edit their profiles and add their profession or what they want to be known for. The content of those tags will then appear when those people are tagged in other content, making it immediately clear who they are and what they do.

Mosseri pointed out repeatedly that creators are important to Instagram, and while it's already one of the best iPhone apps for sharing content, it has plenty of competition. Both YouTube and TikTok offer features similar to a lot of what Instagram offers these days and Mosseri knows that the company needs to continue to pull creators into its platform.

What you need to know

• Instagram has made a change to its hashtag pages for a number of users.
• A new test sees the 'Recent' tab being removed from hashtag pages.
• Instagram isn't saying when the change will roll out to all if indeed it ever does.

Instagram is testing a change to the way its hashtag pages work with a number of users now no longer seeing a 'Recent' tab. Those users will still see 'Recent' and 'Reels' tabs, however.

The move, Instagram says, is being made to see whether it helps people "connect with more interesting and relevant content on hashtags." It's another example of the social network preferring to trust its algorithm over simply showing content in a reverse-chronological timeline.

Instagram made the announcement via Twitter but didn't say how large the pool of testers would be.

The move also means that Reels are now more prominent than they were previously, something Instagram will no doubt be pleased to see. The company continues to duke it out with TikTok and will hope that it can make Reels a viable competitor for short-form video sharing.

Instagram is already one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to share content in either still photo or video form and this change will likely make little difference to most people — even if it is rolled out to everyone. Whether people use hashtags in the way Instagram thinks they do is another matter entirely, but that might be one of the reasons the company is rolling this out to a group of testers rather than the wider user base.

What you need to know

• Meta has announced that people can donate to, and create, fundraisers directly in Reels.
• More than 1.5 million nonprofits worldwide are supported.

Meta has today announced that it is making it easier to create and donate to fundraisers. Now, both of those things can happen directly in Instagram Reels for the first time.

The announcement came as part of a wider newsroom post about Meta's Earth Day efforts, with more than 1.5 million nonprofits now supported by the change worldwide. Meta says that it will also continue to cover all processing fees to ensure that everything donated finds its way to fundraisers.

While this is being announced as part of Earth Day, other good causes will also obviously benefit from the change. Being able to donate to, and create, new fundraisers via Instagram Reels is a big improvement and hopefully it will mean that even more money is made available to good causes.

Instagram is already one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to share videos and photos — maybe it'll now be one of the best ways to get money to the places that need it, too.

What you need to know

• Instagram has finally brought back chronological feeds.
• Users can now choose between 'following' and 'favorites' options of posts in chronological order.
• Twitter tried to have a sly dig over the "groundbreaking" feature, but it didn't end well.

Instagram has announced it is finally bringing back chronological feeds to its app.

The company stated:

Instagram says that users will now be able to select not one but two chronological views, either Favorites or Following, that will show your posts in the order that they were made, just like nature intended.

Twitter tried to take a cheap shot at Instagram with a GIF mocking the feature as "groundbreaking" but got absolutely destroyed in the process. From our report on the incident:

Despite its lack of chronological feeds until today, Instagram remains one of the best iPhone social media apps for viewing and sharing photos and its Reels, the company's rival to TikTok's short-form success.

What you need to know

• Twitter and Instagram got into a spat but there was only ever going to be one winner.
• Instagram shut the whole thing down with a tweet that was impossible to argue with.
• Instagram and Twitter have both re-launched their chronological feeds in the past week or so.

Instagram is doing pretty well for itself these days and Twitter is one of the biggest social networks in the world. So when the two have a spat via a series of tweets it's always going to capture the attention. Even more so when one of them gets schooled over a situation it didn't need to get itself into.

The fun all started when Instagram announced that it is bringing the chronological feed back, something that Twitter itself recently did after user backlash. Apparently very pleased with its own chronological timeline — and forgetting its own missteps — Twitter replied suggesting that the idea was "groundbreaking" in an attempt to mock Instagram's new-old feature. But then the video and photo-sharing social network dropped the hammer. And it dropped it hard.

In one tweet, Instagram ended the spat by pointing out that its users can edit their posts, something Twitter fans have been asking for since, well, forever. It was a savage blow and one that was a thing of beauty.

Something tells me that someone on the Twitter social team wishes they hadn't gotten involved!

All jokes aside, a purely chronological feed coming back to Twitter and Instagram is the best iPhone news of the month and you love to see it. Now Twitter just needs to do away with those ads or at least let us pay to get rid of them and we'll be even happier!

What you need to know

• Russia has banned and blocked Instagram from being used in its country.
• Instagram says 80 million users are now without access to its service.
• Russian influencers spent the weekend telling people to download VPN software to avoid the ban.

Just as it said it would last week, Russia has now blocked access to Instagram for the 80 million people who used it in the country.

The move, which was threatened last week, was confirmed by internet monitoring service GlobalCheck and The Verge. The ban comes after Meta said it would allow Facebook and Instagram users to call for violence against Russian invaders, something that would normally be against its rules. The temporary change in policy only applies to specific instances, according to a Reuters report.

Meta confirmed to The Verge that a change had been made.

Instagram did have around 80 million users inside Russia, with the company saying that around 80% of those followed accounts that originated from beyond its borders. Russian Instagram influencers spent the weekend telling their fans that they should download a VPN in an attempt to try to bypass the impending Russian block, something that has been a growing trend since the invasion of Ukraine began.

Instagram has long been one of the best iPhone apps for sharing photos and short videos, making it one of the most obvious targets for a Russian regime that wants to tightly control the narrative amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

What you need to know

• Russia has decided to ban Instagram.
• It follows a decision by Meta not to restrict calls for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers.
• The service will stop working from midnight on March 14.

Russia is set to ban Instagram in the country, following Meta's confession it would not restrict calls for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers on its platform.

State media watchdog Roskomnadzor announced:

The watchdog acknowledged users would need time to migrate their photos, videos, contacts, and subscribers to other platforms, so said it would give them a 48-hour transition period. As such, the ban on access to Instagram will take place from 00:00 on March 14.

Russia's Prosecutor General's Office had asked the body to look into Meta's platforms earlier this week. The request was open-ended enough that it could have also seen sanctions against WhatsApp and Facebook, however, it looks like these platforms have both escaped action for now.

In a statement previously, Facebook said:

The admission seems to have prompted Russia's move to ban the service in the country. Instagram is one of the best iPhone apps for social media, and Instagram's head Adam Mosseri stated on Friday that it would see 80 million people in the country "cut off from one another and from the rest of the world."

Companies including Apple have stopped operating in Russia as a result of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which entered its third week on Thursday.

What you need to know

• Instagram has launched auto-generated captions.
• Users will now be able to see the auto-generated captions on videos in the app's feed.
• The news comes as the company announced it is shutting down the IGTV app.

If you've ever watched a video on YouTube, you've notived the option for captions. While those who upload the video can manually add their own closed captions, YouTube will also offer to automatically generate captions for videos as well.

Now, it appears that Instagram is playing catchup to YouTube. Today, the company announced that it is bringing auto-generated captions to videos in teh feed of the Instagram app. According to the announcement, the feature will work for seventeen languages at launch.

The news comes a day after the company revealed that it would be shutting down the IGTV app in favor of video in the main Instagram app with Instagram Video (Feed Video and Reels). Instead of trying to keep the separate IGTV app going, the company has decided to invest more heavily in Reels, its TikTok competitor.

Instagram says auto-generated captions for videos in the feed should be showing up for users starting today.

What you need to know

• Instagram is shutting down the IGTV app.
• It will instead focus its investment on Reels and Instagram Video.

Today, Instagram announced that it would be shutting down the IGTV app as it turns its focus into improving Reels, its direct competitor to TikTok.

In a post on the Instagram Creators website, the company announced that it would discontinue its separate IGTV app and bring all of that content into the main Instagram app. The move also means that IGTV ads will no longer be supported.

• We want to help creators turn their passion into a living - this is why we've invested in helping creators earn through a portfolio of monetization options across Meta. We're exploring more ways for you to earn by creating reels that entertain our community. In addition to bonuses, later this year we will begin testing a new ad experience on Instagram, which will allow creators to earn revenue from ads displayed on their reels.
• Because of our focus on Reels, In-Stream video ads (previously known as IGTV ads) will no longer be supported. Creators that are actively monetizing with In-Stream video ads will receive a temporary monthly payment based on recent earnings.
• As part of our efforts to make video as simple as possible to discover and create, we will no longer be supporting our standalone app for IGTV. Instead we will focus on having all video on the main Instagram app. We believe this makes it easier for people to have all these features and abilities in the main app, and are excited to continue to simplify and improve video in the main Instagram app over the coming months.

Last year, the company announced that it would simplify Feed Video and IGTV into one thing: Instagram Video. That move started to spell the end of IGTV and its separate app.

Instagram originally launched IGTV as a separate app that aimed to compete with services like YouTube. However, it only allowed users to upload vertical videos, which was a growing trend at the time. However, over time, the app failed to gain traction as other video apps like YouTube and TikTok gained popularity.

Instagram even recognized that Reels, its TikTok competitor, appears to be the future of Instagram and is investing more heavily in that format as opposed to the IGTV features.

What you need to know

• Instagram still has no immediate plans to build an iPad app.
• Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, confirmed so on Twitter today.
• Mosseri listed a number of issues delaying the team from releasing the iPad app.

Anyone who has been hoping for an iPad app for Instagram just had their hopes dashed.

Today, Marques Brownlee shot out a tweet saying "The year is 2022 and there's still no proper Instagram app for iPad." To much surprise, Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, responded to the tweet saying that "it's still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority."

When Brownlee pressed the issue, saying that they might have a big enough group interested in the app if it actually existed, Mosseri explained that a number of issues stood in between their team and an iPad app:

While all of Mosseri's reasons are perfectly valid, it is becoming less and less acceptable that Instagram lacks an iPad app, especially when almost every other major social media app has one.

Of course, Instagram has enough market share and influence that it doesn't really need to build one - it's doing just fine without it.

After Facebook reported the first decline of daily active users in its history, its stock experienced the largest daily percentage drop of any company in history. The company lost over 30% of its market capitalization in days.

The company, which has been mired in controversy about the effects that its products have on our mental, emotional, and societal health, had an opportunity to address this setback and recognize that manipulating its users through advertising and algorithms is not the markings of a successful business in the long term.

Instead of looking internally, the company blamed Apple's privacy protections and its revenue solution is to try and make Instagram even more addictive.

In a report from TechCrunch, Meta is changing the "Daily Time Limit" feature on Instagram. The feature allows users to set a daily time limit to ensure that they don't spend more time than they want to on the app. It's an important tool for anyone who has pulled up Instagram to look at a Story or two and then found themselves coming out 30 minutes later.

Unfortunately for all of us, Meta is reducing the amount of limiting options and 30 minutes is precisely how short you can now set the "Daily Time Limit" for. According to the report, you previously had the option of setting it to as little as 15 or even 10 minutes. Now? It's 30 minutes at a minimum. Even worse, 30 minutes is the last suggested time limit with the first suggestion sitting at a staggering 3 hours.

Meta sent a statement to TechCrunch that pointed out that Instagram also offers a "Take a Break" feature that can be set at ten-minute intervals. It will pop a full-screen notification to leave the app every ten minutes - if you set it up of course.

Now, for anyone who has used TikTok, you know that you have come across their version of this - a video of someone going "HOLD ON! You've been watching for a while and you might want to take a break." Do you know what we do with these videos? We blow right past them.

I can't imagine anything will be different with Instagram's "Take a Break" feature. You'll set it up with every intention of actually taking a break - until you actually get to that screen. Then, just like TikTok, dismissing that notification will become second nature for most of the people that enable it.

So, instead of being a feature that truly gets you to take a break from the app, it will instead become a way to get users to say "ten more minutes" as they dismiss the notification again and again. As much as Instagram would love to point to the feature as every bit as good as "Daily Time Limit," it knows that, in reality, it will lead to more time spent in its app and more revenue for Meta.

Instagram's number one goal is to keep you on its app for as long as it possibly can so it can serve you more targeted ads that you will click on and buy something. With the reduction of options for setting a "Daily Time Limit," the company is once again choosing itself over what's actually best for the health of its users.

Thankfully, both iOS and Android offer their own versions of "Daily Time Limit" that can be enabled across more than just Instagram. Apple's version, called Screen Time, not only allows you to set daily time limits for apps but also restricts access to them at certain times of the day.

So, if you want to make sure you don't sit in bed and scroll Instagram instead of sleeping, you're best off using your phone's built-in features rather than relying on Meta to do what's best for users.

What you need to know

• Instagram has increased the minimum amount of time its Daily Limit notifications can be configured for.
• 30 minutes is now the shortest period of time Daily Limits can be set up for — up from just 10.
• Parent group Meta recently reported slowing growth with the suggestion being this move was to help arrest that.

Instagram has quietly tweaked its Daily Limit feature, seemingly to ensure people spend more time on the social network.

The Daily Limit feature allows people to control how much time they spend on Instagram — after a specified amount of time the app warns you that you've been scrolling for too long. Previously the lowest time limit was 10 minutes, but as a new TechCrunch report points out, that's now 30 minutes.

And that, right there, seems to be the rub. Slowing growth is never a good thing for any platform — social or otherwise. Having people limited to spending just ten minutes on Instagram could severely limit how addicted they become, reducing the possibility that they'll in turn infect someone else with the same need to scroll through endless photos of lunch menus and whatnot.

Whether the change was decided upon by Instagram itself or from the big bosses at Meta isn't clear, but it would be mighty interesting to hear the justification for such a move.

All of this aside, Instagram remains the best iPhone app for sharing photos and while TikTok is the place to be for video, there remains room for both to coexist. No matter how much Instagram tries to eat TikTok's lunch by 'borrowing' features.

What you need to know

• Instagram is changing to way people like Stories.
• Story likes will no longer go into a poster's direct messages.
• Instagram says the change is rolling out to its users now.

Instagram is finally letting people like a Stories without sending a DM. The move is called "Private Story Likes" and it's rolling out to everyone now.

The move, which was announced by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on Twitter, means that people won't have their list of DMs polluted just because someone wanted to like their video. However, Story likes won't have a count on-screen and as the name suggests, they're private. Mosseri says that they'll appear as hearts next to people's names in the Story poster's view sheet.

Mosseri says that the feature is rolling out now so don't panic just yet if the change isn't reflected on your own account — it'll come soon enough.

Instagram is one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to share photos and short-form videos, but it isn't perfect. The change in the way likes are handled on Stories is sure to be a popular one, though. Don't yet have Instagram installed? You can grab it from the App Store for free right now.

What you need to know

• Instagram has rolled out a Security Checkup feature to help people keep their accounts secure.
• People can now manage their Instagram activity from within the app.
• Both new features were previously available to some people but can now be used by everyone.

Instagram has rolled two new features out to users after initially making them available to a limited group. Now, both Your Activity and Security Checkup are available to everyone.

Security Checkup is a feature that was previously only made available to people whose accounts had been compromised but it's now available to all. Found in the Instagram settings, the feature guides people through making sure their account is secure by ensuring contact details are correct and that a strong password is being used. Instagram also says that two-factor authentication is encouraged, too.

Another arrival is Your Activity, an area within the app that gives people the chance to manage their interactions with people as well as their search history and more.

Both of these new features should now be available to everyone and should definitely be checked out.

Instagram is the best iPhone app for people who want to share images and videos with others but it has suffered from security scares in the past and accounts have been compromised at times. Making sure to follow the Security Checkup steps is a very good idea for all Instagram users.

What you need to know

• Meta is rolling 3D Avatars out to more services including Instagram.
• Changes have been made to the way some Avatars look.
• New options are being made available including Cochlear implants and over-the-ear hearing aids.

Meta is rolling out its updated 3D Avatars to both Instagram and Messenger with more options than ever before.

Meta made the announcement via a Newsroom post with the avatars coming to the United States, Canada, and Mexico right now.

Alongside the expansion, Meta is also adding new options to Avatars including Cochlear implants and over-the-ear hearing aids. The outfit also says that it is improving the look of its Avatars, saying that it has "subtly adjusted certain facial shapes" to help people make them, look just the way they want them to.

NFL fans are also getting new options ahead of Super Bowl LVI.

You can read more about what's going down in the original Newsroom post and you'll find some more images showing the changes that have been made to Avatars over there, too.

What you need to know

• Instagram is testing a new subscriptions feature that will allow people to support creators.
• Three different types of content can be offered via subscription.
• A limited number of creators in the United States can offer subscriptions so far.

Photo and video social network Instagram is offering a new subscription feature that will give people a new way to directly support their favorite creators. Instagram says that the feature is only available to a limited number of creators in the United States right now, but that will surely change in due course.

Starting today, some creators will be able to offer a monthly subscription that will unlock three different kinds of content depending on what they choose to offer, according to Instagram's announcement.

Right now a total of ten different creators are on board including @alanchikinchow, @sedona._, @alizakelly, @kelseylynncook, @elliottnorris, @jordanchiles, @jackjerry, @bunnymichael, @donalleniii and @lonnieiiv.

Many would say that Instagram is the best iPhone app of its kind and a great way to share photo and video with friends, but it's also a very real career for some and those people will no doubt benefit from a move like this.

What you need to know

• Instagram is testing a change to the way people skip Stories.
• One Turkish user has shared a video showing a new vertical design.
• TikTok already has people swipe vertically to skip videos.

Popular photo and video sharing app Instagram is working on a change to the way people swipe through Stories. Right now a horizontal swipe is required to skip one Story and move on to the next but that could soon change.

Instagram now appears to be testing a new vertical swipe for some people with one Turkish user sharing a video of how things work. It isn't clear how Instagram is deciding who gets the new interface or whether they will ever move those people back to the old one. We also don't know when or whether the new swiping gesture will be rolled out to everyone, either.

As the video shows, Stories will continue to work in the same way they do now but with one notable exception — skipping videos requires a vertical swipe rather than a horizontal one.

There's a very good reason that the new gesture looks immediately familiar — it's the same one used by TikTok and is definitely a design that people will already be familiar with. It isn't immediately clear why Instagram is testing the change but it seems likely that TikTok is part of the thinking here.

Both Instagram and TikTok are among the best iPhone apps at what they do and it isn't the first time we've seen one popular app borrow heavily from another. And it definitely won't be the last.