Five New Instagram Features You May Not Have Seen

Apps. Updates. Software developers are constantly working to improve their apps and give their users the best experience possible. But sometimes, it feels like it’s an avalanche of updates. You just updated Instagram last Tuesday! How is there another one ready so soon?  

Maybe you have automatic updates on, so an update is something that happens in the background; maybe you’ve been busy lately and you’ve been ignoring those little “what’s

new” popups. Whatever the case, it can be easy to lose track of the latest fun features. Which is why I’ve rounded up some of the more important Instagram updates for you to check out.

New Feature #1: Grid Pinning

So, your Instagram profile is a grid. Dozens of photos separated by thin white lines, arranged in chronological order of when you posted them. But what if there’s a specific post you want people to see immediately, not when they’ve scrolled down through several weeks of posting? Well, Instagram has added a feature that allows you to pin a post. Pinning a post will make it sit in the top row of posts on your profile, so it’s one of the first thing your follower sees when they click on your account. You can pin up to three posts, so filling that top row; the rest of your posts will still show up chronologically, but the most recent of them will only make it to the second row.

This is super useful if you have a few specific posts you want to highlight. It can also be used strategically to introduce potential followers to your brand or business. To pin a post, just click those three little dots in the upper right-hand corner of the post you’d like to pin, and click “pin to your profile.” And if you decide you want to rearrange those pinned posts, you can unpin them by hitting those dots again and clicking “unpin from profile.” Easy peasy!

New Feature #2: Instagram Maps

What? Instagram has a map feature? Yep—just search what you’re looking for in the search bar and click “Places” all the way over on the right. Tap any of the options that show up, and you’ll be given a map. You can use this map feature to search for the most popular destinations in your area, and check out stories that others have posted recently that are location-specific. You can also bookmark locations, or send them to friends. No more struggling to coordinate where to grab lunch with a colleague—just send them the location on Instagram and you’re set.

New Feature #3: Subscriptions

Yep, you read that right. Instagram has officially introduced a subscription feature. Before, you would have to partner with outside brands and businesses in order to earn money, or hope that people click a link to your website. But now, you can monetize your content by putting some of it behind a paywall. Once you set up a subscription feature, your followers can click the “Subscribe” button that shows up on your profile, then set up a monthly subscription to see exclusive content. The best part? Instagram doesn’t take a cut of your profit.

New Feature #4: Dual Camera

Have you ever wanted to record from both sides of your camera? I know I have. Well, now in Instagram you can! You can access it by opening the camera the way you would if you wanted to record a story. If the feature seems similar to an app called BeReal that you may have heard about—it is! Instagram has announced they’ll be launching their own version of the BeReal feature, called “Candid Challenges,” in which the app sends you a notification at a random time and you have two minutes to take a photo.

New Feature #5: Reels Templates

Making an Instagram reel can be so time-consuming, especially if you need to edit the video. Instagram just made producing a reel a hundred times easier: with the template feature, you can drop your own videos or photos into premade time slots, then add a trending audio clip. You can access a template in two ways. If you find a reel someone has made that you like the style of, you may be able to access that template—it’ll show a “use template” sticker above the reel’s account name. Or you can pop open the reels feature and scroll through the available templates to see what you like.

It can be tough to keep up with the updates coming out these days, but the ideas are all so cool and useful that it’s definitely worth the potential confusion. Happy posting!

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