Innholdsfortegnelse for Instagram The Complete Manual i Instagram The Complete Manual

BDM’s Complete Manual Series Instagram For iPhone, iPad, Android, PC & Mac Instagram is a photo sharing application with over one billion active users, posting in excess of 95 million photos per day. Since its launch nearly eight years ago, a staggering 40 billion photos have been shared on the platform, making it one of the most used social media services in the world. Impressive statistics aside, Instagram offers more than simply somewhere to dump your occasional photos. It’s used by individuals and businesses to promote work, ethics, politics and much more. You can share a video of your personal best bench press or your child’s first steps. With so much content, there’s always something for someone within this rather wonderful app. Join us then, as we take a look…

INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF INSTAGRAM History of Instagram Where do ideas come from? Are they just sparks of random energy that float around waiting for a brain to pass by that’s susceptible enough for them to inhabit and gain fruition? Whatever makes an idea, the spark that powered Instagram was certainly powerful. Instagram was developed by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger (pictured left) towards the end of 2009, after realising that their project at the time, Burbn, was far too similar to the mobile app Foursquare. The duo put in bids for investors throughout 2010, while working on a new project that focused on mobile photography and photo-sharing. The result was that the early stages of Instagram was born, a portmanteau of instant camera and telegram. March 2010 saw over $500,000 of…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE INSTALLING INSTAGRAM ON A PC Installing Instagram on a PC The Windows 10 Microsoft Store is filled to the brim with useful apps, one of which is Instagram. Windows 10 is in a unique position because it’s the only desktop operating system that features an official integration app for Instagram. Here’s how to install it. 1 Click on the Windows Start button followed by the Microsoft Store tile. Once the Store is open, click in the Search bar at the top of the window and enter Instagram. When the app’s page in the Store has loaded, scroll down to check the System Requirements and any additional information that’s needed. 2 When you’re ready, click on the blue Get button at the top of the page.…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE INSTAGRAM ON THE DESKTOP Instagram on the Desktop Since Instagram is designed for use on mobile devices, it looks a lot different when on the Windows 10 desktop app. While you can still post photos and video, explore content and search for other users, it’s not as fluid as the Android or iPhone versions. 1 Take Photo or Video – Click the camera icon in the top left of the Instagram app and you’re asked if you want the app to take control of the computer’s camera and microphone. Enabling access allows you to post photos and video from your PC. 2 Instagram Feed – One of the main advantages of using Instagram on a Windows 10 computer is that the feed is much bigger,…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE LINKING YOUR PROFILE WITH FACEBOOK Linking Your Profile with Facebook Linking your profile to a Facebook account allows you to share posts from Instagram to Facebook. The benefit here is that all your posts are spread across the two social media platforms without having to enter the same content twice. 1 From the main Instagram page, tap on the profile section as detailed by the Person icon in the bottom right of the screen. Once you’re in your profile section, tap the Three horizontal bars in the upper right (for Android users), or for iOS users, tap the Cog icon in the upper right. 2 This is the Profile section, where your Instagram Activity, Nametag and such, can be set up and edited. From here,…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE POSTING A VIDEO Posting a Video Posting a video to Instagram has been available since the June 2013 update and Instagram itself has become one of the most prolific video sharing platforms available today. If you’ve got something amazing, interesting, funny, or inspirational then here’s how to get it on Instagram. 1 Posting a video is very similar to posting a photo; you can post a video you’ve already shot from your device’s gallery, or via the camera(s). Start by opening Instagram and from the bottom menu strip, tap the middle button (the plus sign inside a box). 2 In the next window, tap on the Video option that appears along the bottom of the screen. This automatically starts the rear-facing camera on the device;…

BEYOND THE BASICS SETTINGS Settings Instagram’s Settings page is one of the most frequently revamped elements of the platform. From within the Settings page, you can control most of what goes on, and how everything is controlled in Instagram. It’s important to get to know your Instagram settings. 1 Accessing the Settings section can be done by tapping the Person icon along the bottom strip, followed by the Three horizontal bars on Android devices, or the Cog icon in the upper right on iOS devices, then tapping the Settings link at the bottom of the screen. 2 There’s a number of interesting options available within the Settings section. For example, Ads enables you to specify how adverts are delivered to your Instagram feed. Sponsored posts can be fine-tuned according to your…

SECURITY TIPS & TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION Two-factor Authentication Two-factor Authentication is a security feature that’s available through Instagram’s Account Options page. When activated, every time you log in to Instagram from an unknown device, you’ll be asked to enter an SMS security code in addition to your username and password. 1 Open Instagram and tap the Person icon in the bottom menu. In the upper right tap the Three horizontal lines, if you’re using an iOS device, tap the Cog icon. Tap Settings, then Privacy and Security and scroll down to the Two-factor Authentication option. 2 To activate Two-factor Authentication tap the Text Message slider. You will be asked for a phone number with which to register Instagram (so the Two-factor Authentication can send a text message to the device, to…

BEYOND THE BASICS INSTAGRAM WEB PORTAL Instagram Web Portal Although it’s not as comprehensive and doesn’t offer as many features as the mobile version, the web-based portal for Instagram does provide a good front end for most of your common Instagram activities. Let’s a take a moment to see what it’s capable of. 1 You can get to the Instagram web portal by pointing your browser to www.instagram.com. From there you are greeted with a login window, along with shortcuts to the various app versions of the platform. If you use your Facebook details to login with, click the Log in with Facebook button, otherwise enter your username and password. 2 The moment you log in, you’re be taken to the main Instagram feed, or rather your feed. The same…

BEYOND THE BASICS FOLLOWING CELEBRITIES Following Celebrities Many celebrities have chosen Instagram as their social media platform to inform their followers as to what they’re up to. Many opt for a more laid back approach, posting photos or videos of their daily life, who they’ve met and so on. Others use it as a cash sideline, earning from £100,000 per post. 1 There’s no shortage of celebrities on Instagram. From the latest music sensation to reality TV people and top scientists to A-list movie stars. Naturally, you need to find them before you can view the content they’ve posted. To do so, open the Explore tab and in the search bar enter your favourite celeb. 2 Notice that as you enter the names of celebrities, and indeed other Instagram influencers, you…

INSTAGRAM STORIES EDITING STORIES Editing Stories One of the many cool things you can do with your Stories is edit them, adding graphics, text, drawings, filters and much more. Here are some tips on how to edit your posts ready for posting to an amazing Story. 1 Follow the process on posting a Story, but before you share it with the world, take a moment to look at what’s available. By swiping from the left or right, you’re able to apply a number of different filters to the photo before sharing it as a Story. 2 By holding your fingers on the phone screen and pinching, you can zoom in or out of the picture. This can enable you to view the outer edges of the shot, be aware in doing…

INSTAGRAM STORIES STICKERS Stickers Stickers are an interesting addition to Instagram photos and videos. They’re a fun way to express yourself in a rather unique way and there are plenty of options and varieties to choose from. Stickers can include hashtags, locations and even an interactive poll. 1 Post a Story; you can delete the date stamp that’s automatically added to the photo or video. Look for the Square face icon with the upturned corner, along the top of the screen (next to the Drawing and Text icons). Tap it to bring up the available Stickers. 2 A pop-up window will open from the bottom of the screen, displaying the Stickers. There are loads to choose from, just scroll down through the selections and swipe left to view the second page…

INSTAGRAM STORIES IGTV IGTV Instagram’s newest feature, as of June 2018, is IGTV, or Instagram TV. It’s a video hub that allows users to create hour long videos to share with the rest of the community; think of it as competition for YouTube. It’s an impressive feature. This is how it works. 1 The IGTV icon only appears on the most recently updated version of Instagram. If you’re still using an older version, i.e. the TV icon in the top right of the main Instagram screen isn’t there, then you need to enter the App Store or Play Store and update Instagram. After closing the app down and restarting, the IGTV icon appears. 2 Tap the IGTV icon and you are presented with a brief TV-like screen, displaying static interference while…

INSTAGRAM HACKS AND TRICKS CONTENT OPTIONS Content Options There are various options available when you look at any Instagram content. You can report content as inappropriate, opt to see fewer posts like the one you’re looking at, copy the post’s link to the device’s clipboard and even share it on WhatsApp. 1 Let’s start by browsing through the Explore tab, until you see something you like the look of. Naturally, you can double-tap to like it or tap the Bookmark to view it later; but for now, tap the three vertical dots in the top right of the post (for Android devices) or three horizontal dots for iOS users. 2 The content options menu that pops up contains the following choices: Report, See fewer posts like this, Copy link and Share…

INSTAGRAM HACKS AND TRICKS REARRANGE FILTERS Rearrange Filters Instagram’s Filters will probably be the most used features of the platform during your time with it. With more added almost weekly, it’s often difficult to keep up-to-date with the new filters, while still enjoying the ones you’ve come to use most often. You therefore need to rearrange them. 1 Go through the motion of posting a new photo, crop it and even select multiple images if you want. When you’re ready to apply a filter, tap the Next button in the top right of the screen. The filters, as always, are listed along the bottom of the screen in a strip. 2 The filter called Hefe, is good for an image such as the one in the screenshot, bringing out the range…

INTRODUCTION INSTAGRAM INFOGRAPHIC Instagram Infographic While Instagram may just seem like a place for the many members of the Kardashian family, it’s also home to millions of other users who simply want to share their experiences, lives, insights and expertise. Here then, is Instagram in numbers. Over 40,000,000,000 photos posted to date Over 1 MiIlion heart Emoji’s Instagrammed daily 17% of teens “Instagram is the most important social media platform” 5% of Instagrammers act after being inspired by a post 25% of all female Instagram users have experienced cyber bullying Top Marketing hashtags: #social, #branding, #socialmedia, #success, #sales Barcelona Instagrams most popular football team 95 MiIlion photos uploaded every day Over 4 BiIlion Instagram likes every day Over 500 MiIlion daily active users Over 25 MiIlion businesses on Instagram 32% of all…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE INSTALLING INSTAGRAM ON ANDROID Installing Instagram on Android Although Instagram is available for the desktop and online, it’s primarily a mobile app. Since it’s a photo-sharing service, Instagram requires access to the device’s camera and media locations. Let’s look at how to install it on Android. 1 Open the Google Play Store and in the search bar enter Instagram. The first option you see should be the official app, together with the updated logo. Look out for fake apps that may have penetrated the Store listing and don’t install Instagram from any third-party sites. The Instagram website directs you to the relevant location in the Play Store too. 2 Tap the Instagram result in the search bar and you are taken to the app’s store…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE INSTAGRAM ON ANDROID Instagram on Android Instagram has recently updated its layout, making the process of posting photos and seeing photos from other users much easier. Most of the app’s core features can be accessed via the controls on the main page. 1 Stories – This is your Instagram Story, where you can display live video, take photos, add filters and Stickers, switch between the device’s camera and much more. Other users’ Stories can be viewed at the top of the Instagram main page. 2 IGTV – Instagram’s newest feature, Instagram TV, allows users to create and view videos up to an hour in length. You can drop back to browse your feed and view the video where you left off, direct message the video…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC INSTAGRAM ONLINE Instagram Online If you’re not able to get to Instagram on your mobile or via the Windows 10 app, don’t worry as it’s also available online at www.instagram.com. Log in with your account details and you can still keep up with your feeds, but not much else. 1 Instagram Home – The Instagram logo and text in the top right of the page are essentially the Home function. Clicking on either of them returns you to your feed from wherever you are on the site. 2 Instagram Feed – You can still view your feed and those who you follow on Instagram, along with any comments associated with the post. Scroll down the page for more content as it loads into your feed. 3…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE LINKING YOUR PROFILE WITH TWITTER Linking Your Profile with Twitter Linking your Instagram profile to Twitter, as you did with Facebook, allows you to share any content you post on Instagram to your Twitter account. This is particularly useful for Instagram businesses, where multiple platforms have different numbers of followers. 1 You will need to return to the previously access Linked Accounts section from within the Settings page. If you can’t remember how to get there, tap the Profile icon in the bottom right of the main Instagram page, followed by the Three horizontal bars for Android users, or the Cog in the upper right for iOS users, then Settings > Account > Linked Accounts. 2 If you’ve already linked your Instagram account with Facebook,…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE INSTAGRAM PHOTO FILTERS Instagram Photo Filters Instagram provides a selection of filters that you can apply to both your photos and videos. These filters offer different colour saturations or levels of brightness and can make an ordinary picture stand out more. Here’s a quick look at how to apply those filters and edit your photos 1 First find a photo to post, either live via your camera, or from your existing images within the device’s gallery. When you have the photo you want to filter and edit, tap the Next link in the upper right hand corner of the screen. 2 After tapping Next, you will be presented with the filter options, which you’ll find along the bottom of the screen. Simply tap each one…

BEYOND THE BASICS PRIVACY Privacy By default, anyone can view your profile and posts on Instagram. For most folk this isn’t much of a problem, as it’s not often someone is targeted for abuse or malicious social engineering. However, it does happen and it could, potentially, happen to you. Here’s how to beef up your Instagram privacy. 1 The first step to building up your Instagram privacy is to enable the Private Account feature. Changing to a Private account will make all your posts private, so only the followers you approve can see them. You’ll need to be in the Settings > Privacy and Security > Account Privacy page. Tap the slider to activate account privacy. 2 While, your posts may be visible to a selected few in Private mode, any…

BEYOND THE BASICS Story Settings Instagram Stories is a feature that lets users post photos and videos that vanish after 24 hours. The feature has been mimicked from Snapchat and has so far, proven to be widely popular among the Instagram community. However, it’s best to view its settings prior to using it. 1 You will need to head over to Instagram’s Account Options page, via Profile, followed by the Three horizontal bars (Cog icon for iOS users) before tapping the Settings option. In Settings, tap Privacy and Security, then Story Controls. 2 The Story Controls option allows you to control: who sees any Instagram Stories you post, who can reply, saving the Stories to your device, whether anyone can share your Story, or whether you want to publish it…

BEYOND THE BASICS INSTAGRAM ON WINDOWS 10 Instagram on Windows 10 Instagram’s Windows 10 app is very similar to that of the web portal version, however there are more options available through the app. Here’s a run down of what you can do with the Windows 10 Instagram app. 1 Obviously you need to have Windows 10 and you will also need the app itself. Open the Microsoft Store and in the Search box at the top, enter: Instagram. The first search result is usually the one to go for, however, to check the Developer is indeed Instagram, click the result and scroll down to the bottom of the information. 2 Once you’ve installed the Instagram app and logged in with your account, you’ll be presented with the default home screen…

INSTAGRAM STORIES VIEWING INSTAGRAM STORIES Viewing Instagram Stories Instagram Stories, although relatively new in the app’s timeline, has proved to be one of the more popular decisions and additions made by the developers. The popularity of Stories has made Instagram the best Story platform now, even over the original Story creator, Snapchat. 1 If you have any followers, or anyone you follow, with recently created Stories, you can view their Instagram Story from your main Home page. Look to the top of the feed and the Stories are listed across the screen. Tap each to view, they usually have a red outline around the profile picture, or tap Watch All to cycle through them. 2 When you tap a Story, whatever the contents are will automatically be played, including any sound…

INSTAGRAM STORIES ADDING TEXT AND DRAWINGS Adding Text and Drawings Alongside simple photo editing comes a wealth of extras that can be applied to your content, Stories in particular. Adding text and pen drawings personalises the Story, allowing you to include something that the casual viewer may not see, or just something witty. 1 Start by creating a Story for yourself, remove the date stamp, but don’t post or share anything just yet. What we’ll be looking at here are the two icons in the top right of the screen: the pen and the Aa letters. Tap the Aa icon to begin entering text to your Story photo. 2 An overlay is added, where you can type using the on-screen keyboard. The size of the text can be altered by moving…

INSTAGRAM STORIES LIVE STREAMING Live Streaming A recent addition to the many features of Instagram is the ability to stream live video. Live Streaming or Instagram Live, enables you to share a live video with your followers in real time. Once the video has ended it’s no longer visible unless you share a replay of it to your Story. 1 Live video is a part of Instagram Stories, so to access it you need to begin a new Story. If you haven’t already started a Story tap the plus icon in the bottom corner of your profile picture from the Home screen, or slide in from the left to launch Story mode. 2 At the bottom of the Story screen, slide the selection menu to Live. You can change which camera…

INSTAGRAM STORIES USING IGTV Using IGTV Instagram created IGTV to function as a normal TV would, so you turn it on and instantly start watching what’s available. The concept is that you can IGTV Channel surf through users’ video content; but as it’s Instagram, you’re also able to like, comment and DM. 1 The first step is to find content that you want to watch. IGTV defaults to the For You category, based on the same algorithm that displays content when you tap the Explore icon. Simply open IGTV and tap the Browse button. 2 Tap the magnifying glass Search icon and you can enter a specific search criteria or choose from any of the Suggested For You users listed down the screen. For example, searching for Workout displays the users’…

INSTAGRAM HACKS AND TRICKS VIEW ALL LIKED POSTS View all Liked Posts Bookmarking a post you’re interested in usually forms the accepted method of recalling content on Instagram; there’s so much of it being uploaded on a daily basis, it’s often difficult to find something you previously saw. However, what if you didn’t bookmark it, but instead Liked it? 1 If, when browsing through the Explore tab, you come across a photo or video that you want to recall for later, it’s recommended that you tap the Bookmark icon followed by Save to Collection. Be aware if, instead, you simply double-tap to like the content, it’s not likely to ever appear in the Explore tab again. 2 To follow an example: Find a post you want to look at again later.…

INSTAGRAM HACKS AND TRICKS GLOSSARY OF TERMS Glossary of Terms Technology loves to confuse its users with a plethora of labels, names and acronyms, and for every new update there’s usually some word you need to become familiar with. Here are some of the popular terms used in the Instagram world, to help you out. B Bio — Every user can create a personal Bio or one that reflects their business. This is a section where you can describe yourself, add web links to your personal pages or in the case of a business, the company website and any phone numbers or messaging tags. Keep it fresh and up to date and if you’re looking for sponsorship, then make sure you’re easy to find and get in touch with. Boomerang —…

INTRODUCTION WHAT IS INSTAGRAM? What is Instagram? With millions of daily users, billions of posted photos and the backing of countless celebrities, Instagram has become much more than a simple photo-sharing app; but what exactly is this trendy thing the cool kids use called Instagram? Instagram is simply a social media application made for sharing photos and videos from a mobile device. Users have a profile and feed, with which they can follow other users to view their profile feeds, as well as populating their own feed with content. While the popular face of Instagram has it as the darling of the celebrity world, there have been many circumstances where live footage and photos have shown dramatic events unfold. Acts of terror, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, floods, tsunami and other such incidents…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE INSTALLING INSTAGRAM ON AN IPHONE Installing Instagram on an iPhone iOS was the original platform for Instagram and it took another two years before it was eventually launched for Android. Although there’s little difference between the platforms, many users insist that the iOS version is better. Here’s how to install it on your Apple device. 1 Start by opening the App Store from the Home screen. Once it’s open, tap on the Search icon in the bottom right corner of the Store. When the search bar is available, enter Instagram and tap on the first result. 2 When in the Instagram page of the App Store, tap the Get button to begin the download and installation process. Tap Install in the pop-up box that appears…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE INSTAGRAM ON IPHONE Instagram on an iPhone The iPhone was Instagram’s first platform, therefore it’s common for any new design layouts or features to appear on the iPhone first, before quickly moving over to Android. The main Home section is similar, so let’s look at the Explore section. 1 Search Bar – If you want to search for another user, or something specific, then enter it in the search bar. Instagram displays the results based on your input; this can be anything from ‘cute cats’ to ‘500Kg deadlifts’. 2 Categories – This strip displays various categories you may be interested in to refine the type of new content you may beinterested in viewing. The first ‘For You’ category will display the feed based on who…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE SETTING UP YOUR PROFILE Setting Up Your Profile Your Instagram profile is an important element of the setup procedure, as you might expect. Your profile is what others see about you and it can define your personality, likes, dislikes and much more. Getting it right is a science in itself but here’s how to get started. 1 Android and iOS users need to go to the main Instagram window and tap on the person icon in the bottom menu bar. By default, Instagram won’t display a profile picture unless you signed in via Facebook, where it shows your Facebook profile image. See Step 3 below to change your image. 2 Next to your profile image is a button labelled Edit Profile; tap it to open…

GETTING STARTED, INSTALLATION & BASIC USE POSTING YOUR FIRST INSTAGRAM Posting Your First Instagram With your profile now displaying your unique personality and the app itself ready to be explored, it’s time to post your first Instagram. Our tip: find a great image and take a few shots. Pick the best and let’s work with it. 1 In this tutorial we’re going to use an image we’ve just taken, obviously you can choose to use the camera instead. From the main Instagram page, tap the Centre icon (the plus sign within a square) along the bottom strip. 2 With the Photo screen open, you have the choice of either: using the camera to catch an image currently in front of you (or a selfie), or use the Gallery. In this instance,…

BEYOND THE BASICS YOUR ACCOUNT OPTIONS Your Account Options The account section of Instagram is different to that of your profile. In your account, you can dig far deeper into Instagram’s settings, enabling such elements as Two-Factor Authentication and tighten your privacy and security as a result 1 You can access your account, plus the various settings branching off from it, by tapping on the Person icon on the bottom strip (as you would to access your profile). Then from the Profile page tap the Three horizontal bars in the top right corner (for Android users), or if you’re on iOS, tap the Cog icon in the upper right, followed by Settings. 2 Your Account Options allow you to control many aspects of Instagram’s behaviour and how you features. There’s a…

BEYOND THE BASICS Security Tips Your digital security is paramount, therefore you need to ensure you’re taking as many precautions as possible to minimise data theft. Thankfully, you don’t need to be technically savvy in order to set up a good level of security. 1 The first step to ensuring your top-notch Instagram security, is to pick a strong password. Use a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. Make sure the password is at least six characters long. Avoid using names and dates, but try to keep it memorable. For example: 98%Hum4n. If in doubt, check it at www.passwordmeter.com/. 2 If you log into Instagram on a computer or device that other people can use, make sure you’ve logged out correctly before leaving. Also, if it’s a computer, ensure…

STORY SETTINGS & PUSH NOTIFICATIONS Push Notifications Push Notifications is a valuable setting on Instagram. With it, you can set how the app will inform you when someone likes one of your posts, when someone mentions you in a comment, if someone starts following you or posts a photo with you tagged in it and much more. 1 Push Notifications contains a lot of information that’s beneficial to the user; if you ever decide you receive too few, or too many, notifications, this is the place to go. Tap on Settings, followed by Notifications, then Push Notifications, to gain access to the options. 2 There’s a wealth of settings in Push Notifications to fine-tune the way Instagram reports any changes or updates. It’s impossible to recommend an ideal setup, as…

BEYOND THE BASICS FINDING CONTENT Finding Content There’s a lot of content on Instagram, an extraordinary amount of content. We’re the first to admit that much of it is not very good. However, a large portion of what’s out there is good, and specific to your tastes. Here’s how to find the content you want. 1 Open Instagram and tap on the magnifying glass to enter the Explore view. You can scroll through what’s available in Explore, tapping the photos and videos that you like the look of and double tapping those you really like; even leaving a comment to show your appreciation. 2 Each time you open a photo or video, Instagram analyses the type of content you’ve looked at and adds it to the algorithm that determines what’s presented…

INSTAGRAM STORIES POSTING YOUR STORY Posting Your Story While it’s great to view other Instagram user’s Stories, it’s equally good to post your own, telling your own unique Story, whatever that may be. Stories are short-lived however and, like Mayflies, they only last twenty-four hours before they’re gone for good. 1 From your Instagram Home screen, you have two options to start your own Story. The first is to tap the Plus sign at the bottom right of your profile picture (at the top of the feed – under the Stories section). The other is to swipe right from the Home screen. 2 The screen will change to resemble its appearance when posting a photo or video. There is a large circle in the middle, which will take a photo when…

INSTAGRAM STORIES FACE FILTERS Face Filters Instagram’s face filters have proved to be remarkably popular with not just younger users, but most of the selfie and indeed Instagram community. Basically, a face filter will superimpose a set of graphics on top of any faces in your content. Here’s how it works. 1 Open Instagram and tap on the Camera icon, in the upper left of the screen, to take a photo. You can use both the front and rear cameras, but you will need to have a face to work on, sometimes a pet will do, but the technology is really looking for an actual human face. 2 In the bottom right is a Face icon with a few stars in its corner. Tap this and line up your camera with…

INSTAGRAM STORIES BOOMERANGS Boomerangs The Boomerang feature has proved to be one of the most popular, recent elements of Instagram, but what exactly is it? As with an actual boomerang, which when thrown will return, an Instagram Boomerang will play a video forward, then backward, in an endless loop. 1 As Boomerangs are a part of the Story feature of Instagram, you will need to launch a new Story: tap the Plus icon in the bottom right of your profile picture, or swipe in from the left of the screen. Once in Story mode, slide the options at the bottom of the screen to the right until you come to Boomerang. 2 The icons along the bottom represent the following, from left to right: Gallery, Camera flash, Take Boomerang, Change camera…

INSTAGRAM STORIES HANDS-FREE Hands-free One of the complaints with taking videos in Instagram was that you needed to keep your finger on the Record button while filming. However, in response to that the company released Hands-free mode back in December 2016. 1 Story mode has offered the user many much needed extras, some of which you probably won’t use during your Instagram usage, but they’re there nonetheless. Handsfree may not sound like much of a big deal but it’s actually quite a good feature. It’s a Story element, so open a new Story and scroll to the end to Hands-free. 2 By now you’re probably familiar with the Story layout. There’s nothing new to add with regards to the Hands-free mode but to recap the available icons are: gallery, camera flash,…

INSTAGRAM HACKS AND TRICKS CLEAR SEARCH HISTORY Clear Search History Instagram stores your searches from the Explore tab to make it easier for you to find your favourite accounts and content. However, it can also open up some searches that you may not want to appear in your Explore feed again, for example, if you typed in the wrong word to search 1 Clearing your search history is a vital part of your right to privacy. Having a saved search history helps bring you a better Instagram experience, however that information is a part of your digital identity and you don’t always want it available to others with access to your device. Tap the Profile icon to begin. 2 In the Profile page, tap the Three horizontal bars (Android users), before…