6 new Instagram features to try

The first photo that Kevin posted on Instagram shows a dog in Mexico and his girlfriend’s foot on July 16, 2010. That was the first time anyone had posted a photo on Instagram. Kevin Systrom is the co-founder of that app, initially launched exclusively to iOS and equipped with a handful of filters.

Instagram introduced 6 new features which you must try

Not only has Instagram ensured that its users who are about 500 million strong satisfied with their experience, they have made sure that there are features to draw in new users and ensure old users don’t become desensitized to its appeal by adding innovative features that do not end up cluttering the interface of the app.

Portrait Mode [Focus Mode]

The Portrait Mode of Instagram provides a bokeh-like effect to the pictures that you take, this nifty new feature from Instagram brings the face more sharply into focus while it blurs the background. It is quite simple to use as well as all you need to do is switch to Focus Mode and then start clicking pictures.

The photos taken by the app are quite good and do not look inadequate, like it does in the case of a variety of image-editing apps.

Stylized Mentions

The old school boring text mentions have been replaced with sleek and vibrant designs which stand out much more than the former. This feature is only available in iOS and not in Android.

All you have to do is pick the sticker and add the text, it is resizable and can be placed in the location of your choice.

GIF Stickers

The feature was discontinued in early in 2018 after it drew the ire of users from various corners. But it has made its way back to Instagram after numerous fixes.

Multiple Gifs can be can be used in a story in order to add more flair to it. To use GIF stickers, all you have to do is select sticker and search for the one that describes your story best.

Written Stories

For everyone who loves the written word, the Type mode provides a library of text styles and a multitude of backgrounds for its users to tell a story with just words.

After you have typed the text, you can change the font by tapping on the Strong icon. Tapping on the A* icon will tweak the font of the text to make it look more appealing. You also have the option of adding emoticons as well.

Follow Hashtags

Instagram is a platform that allows you to see posts and stories from brands, bands, businesses, groups, celebrities, pets and even humans.

Now there is also an option of following hashtags and see what people have been posting under the hashtag. You have the option of searching for a hashtag and then following it.

Optional Last Seen option

The people who are on your DM list and your followers will be able to see when you were last active on Instagram. This feature was part of the January 2018 update.

If you wish to keep information about your activity away from prying eyes, you can go to settings to turn the feature off.