Instagram Testing Tapping Instead of Scrolling Within Explore Section

The Explore tab is one of Instagram’s most popular sections, and it looks like the social network is investigating a new method to make the experience a lot more comfortable.

TechCrunch reports on Thursday, following a screenshot shared by “Suprateek Bose” and a confirmation from Instagram itself, that the platform is currently testing the ability to tap through posts, rather than scrolling through the content. In the screenshot we can see Instagram touting “Introducing a New Way to Move Through Posts”, with a “Tap to see the next post” to indicate how to progress further while exploring.

Here’s the official statement from Instagram:

“We’re always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and bring you closer to the people and things you love.”

Scrolling through the main feed of Instagram has been the standard method since day one, and while tapping might make exploring the Explore tab a bit more comfortable, it sounds like Instagram isn’t planning on bringing this new tapping method to the main feed anytime soon. For now, it sounds like the scrolling will remain intact for the stock feed for the foreseeable future.

Our Take

The benefit of the tapping method does reduce swiping your finger across the screen, which is nice, but it also means the content can be displayed in full on the device’s display automatically, rather than having to fine-tune with the scrolling option. It’s a small change, but one that will more than likely go over well enough if it does roll out globally.

What do you think of the change? Prefer tapping over scrolling?

[via TechCrunch; Suprateek Bose]

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Instagram Testing Sharing Location History With Facebook

Facebook owns Instagram and has for quite some time now, but the separation between the two platforms has been distinct. But that is already starting to blur quite a bit with recent major changes in executive staff at the photo- and video-sharing social network.

And it looks like it may be changing even more in the future. A report on Thursday from TechCrunch outlines how Instagram is currently testing the ability to upload location history of its users over to Facebook. The “feature” is being tested right now within a prototype version of Instagram, according to the report, which includes the ability to share location data with Facebook, which can then be turned into targeted advertising:

“Allows Facebook Products, including Instagram and Messenger, to build and use a history of precise locations received through Location Services on your devices.”

The app’s ability to track location is based on GPS coordinates, and according to the report it will continue to track location even when the app is not in use. It will then upload that data over to Facebook’s own Activity Log.

As it stands right now, Instagram has stated that it hasn’t changed anything, and that it tests different features quite often. This means that this new feature could see the light of day in the public version of the app at some point in the future, or it could never be implemented.

However, if this feature does come to fruition, then it means that Instagram could be sharing your location with Facebook in the background, and it does not appear to be an “opt-in” situation, as the default nature of the feature appears to be switched “on” right out of the gate.

“Location History is a setting that allows Facebook to build a history of precise locations received through Location Services on your device. When Location History is on, Facebook will periodically add your current precise location to your Location History even if you leave the app. You can turn off Location History at any time in your Location Settings on the app. When Location History is turned off, Facebook will stop adding new information to your Location History which you can view in your Location Settings. Facebook may still receive your most recent precise location so that you can, for example, post content that’s tagged with your location. Location History helps you explore what’s around you, get more relevant ads, and helps improve Facebook. Location History must be turned on for some location feature to work on Facebook, including Find Wi-Fi and Nearby Friends.”

Our Take

This is basically another way for Facebook to work out targeted ads for visitors to its platforms, which shouldn’t be a surprise in the slightest. After all, we recently learned that Facebook uses the 2FA phone number, which should be meant entirely for security purposes, as another means to implement targeted advertising. Using Instagram to do the same thing is low hanging fruit.

At what point does Facebook go too far with this goal, though?

[via TechCrunch]

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Instagram Stories to Support GIFs

Announced today, Stories now supports GIFs. This means that you can add moving images to your stories as you see fit, which can certainly add plenty of customization to the stories platform as a whole. Instagram’s GIF support is handled by GIPHY, one of the biggest sources of GIFs online. Right out of the gate, Instagram Stories will support hundreds of thousands of options.

Users will be able to search for a GIF they want to use in their story, or they can see what’s trending so they can include a popular GIF at the time with the content they want to share.

To add a GIF, a user just needs to select the option to add a sticker. From that menu there will be a new area for GIFs.

GIF support is now available in the newest version of Instagram.

What’s more, Instagram is also going to add support for uploading photos and videos at their original resolution and size:

“In the coming weeks, we’re also rolling out the ability to upload photos and videos of any size to your story — so you never have to lose part of a photo or cut a friend out of a group video. When you upload a photo or video, pinch to share it in its original dimensions, whether it’s square, portrait or landscape. Any extra room will be filled with a custom color gradient that matches what you’ve shared.”

That ability isn’t ready for primetime just yet, and Instagram says it will be rolling out to new users in the coming weeks.

GIF support was just a matter of time. There’s no denying the popularity of GIFs in general, so adding it into the mix, especially with Stories, was a longtime coming for Instagram. Will it be a feature that gets new people to try out the feature? Probably.

How often do you use Instagram Stories?

[Source Instagram]