5 new and upcoming Instagram features you should look out for

Instagram, in India, hosts a whopping 229 million users, and the Meta-owned social networking platform continues to gain popularity among the young and old. However, what started with a simple, photo-sharing social networking site today offers multiple features and an improved user interface.

And if that’s not all, Instagram also continues incorporating new developments from time to time. But if you’ve missed out on catching up or need a refresher, you’re in the right place. Check out what’s new and upcoming on Instagram.

5 new Instagram features you may have missed out on

Before we can dive into what’s in the pipeline, here are a few recent updates you may have missed out on. Read on for a quick recap:

Instagram broadcast channels: Public figures and creators who want their followers to get timely updates can now notify their followers with an Instagram DM. The feature acts similar to that of an admin-only group chat which enables the user to broadcast exclusive photos, videos and links to their audience. However, as audience, you can only react with emojis to show your support, and there’s no other way to change this setting.

Zoom in on Instagram profile photos: You no longer have to rely on third-party apps to magnify a profile photo on Instagram. In a new update, users can visit a profile and simply click on the photo to zoom into a display picture. All you have to do is press and hold a photo on your smartphone app for it to fit your screen.

Multiple links in your bio: If you’ve wanted to add more than one link for your Instagram portfolio or e-commerce page, the app now supports multiple links in your bio and simplifies this process for you. You can use this feature by clicking on edit profile, links and adding external links.

Instagram feed sans ads: Yup, you read right. And no, you don’t have to purchase a plan. If you were tired of browsing through the app with multiple suggested posts, ads and unrelated content, you could now switch to viewing the posts from the people you follow with a straightforward function. Click on the Instagram logo in the top left corner of the app; this will give you a drop-down menu with two options: favourites and following. Click on following to see posts by your friends and family.

All Instagram videos are now reels: Whether you like it or not, all your video posts on Instagram will automatically be treated as reels on the app. Unfortunately, users can no longer post square videos like they used to as posts. However, there still exist multiple third-party apps that allow you to post videos in the orientation of your choice.

5 upcoming features on Instagram

Now that you’re well-versed with what the app has to offer, here are a few features you can look forward to:

Birthday reminders: A lot of us still rely on Facebook to remind us of our dear ones’ birthdays. But soon enough, you will be able to get yourself the update with Instagram’s new feature. Along with sending you a reminder for your friends and family, the app also plans to include celebratory confetti and stickers to liven things up.

AI stickers: If you’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time searching for a sticker that goes best with your story, this Instagram feature is for you. All you have to do is type your prompt to get an AI-generated sticker that fits your needs best. Creating custom stickers just got a whole lot easier!

Audio and video messages on Notes: Instagram’s Notes feature didn’t take much in skyrocketing to popularity among users. In fact, it currently even functions as a musical message board for us to communicate (not complaining!). However, the app plans to allow users to leave their own voice recordings as a note for their followers soon enough. In addition to that, users may also be able to put up a short video message that will play in a loop for 24 hours.

Location tags on Notes: Instagram further experiments with Notes by testing a feature that could potentially let users add a location tag. This means the next time you’re updating a note from your favourite restaurant, you can leave a pin for your followers to know where you’re at or keep in mind for their next visit.

Multiple story lists: As of today, users can update their stories to either all their followers or their close friends. But in future, the app plans to roll out an update that could let you update your stories for a wide range of tailored audiences, including your family or pretty much anyone on your list.

While some of these new features might be available to beta users, there’s no saying when they could be going live. That said, we’re excited to see the possibilities and are excited to try everything in store for us in the upcoming few months.