Instagram is a popular social networking application focused on sharing photos and videos. Since its launch in 2010, it has maintained its popularity by adding innovative features such as Instagram Stories, Shopping, Instagram Reels, and more.
Similar to Facebook or X (formerly Twitter), everyone who creates an Instagram account has a profile and news feed.
When you post a photo or video on Instagram, it will appear on your profile. Other users who follow you will see your posts in their feeds. Likewise, you'll see posts from other users you follow.
Instagram is like a simplified version of Facebook, emphasizing mobile use and visual sharing. As with other social networks, you can interact with other users by following them, asking others to follow you, commenting, liking, tagging and private messages. You can also save photos you see on Instagram.
Since there's a lot to know about Instagram, here's some helpful information to get you started browsing the social media platform.
Instagram is free on iOS devices, such as iPhones and iPads, and Android devices, such as phones and tablets from Google, Samsung, and others.
Download the Instagram app for iOS, or get the Android Instagram app to start using the social media platform. You can also access the Instagram website at Instagram.com.
Instagram requires you to create a free account before using it. Sign up using your existing Facebook account or email address. All you need is a username and password.
You can change your Instagram email address at any time.
When setting up your account, you may be asked if you want to follow your Facebook friends on Instagram. Do this now, or skip the process and come back later.
When you first visit Instagram, it's a good idea to customize your profile by adding your name, photo, a brief bio, and a link to your website (if you have one). When you follow people and seek people to follow you, they want to know who you are and what you do.
On Instagram, the main purpose is to share and find the best photos and videos. Each user profile has a follower and following count, which represents the number of people they follow and the number of other users who follow them.
If you want to follow someone, go to their user profile and click "Follow." If the user has set their profile to private, they must first approve your request.
If you create a public account, anyone can find and view your profile and your photos and videos. If you want only people you approve to see your posts, set your Instagram profile to private. If you are under 16 when you create your profile, your profile will start as private by default. However, you can still make it public afterward.
Interacting on posts is fun and easy. Double-click on any post to like it, or click on the bubble to add a comment. Click the arrow button to share a post with someone using Instagram Direct. Facebook Messenger is integrated into Instagram's direct messaging, so you can message your Facebook contacts directly from Instagram.
If you want to find or add more friends or interesting accounts, click Search (magnifying glass icon) to browse customized posts recommended for you. Alternatively, click Search and add users, topics, or hashtags to the search field to search for that term.
Instagram has come a long way in terms of posting options since its early days. When it launched in 2010, users could only post photos through the app and then add filters without any additional editing features.
Now you can post from the app or website, or you can post existing photos or videos from your device. Depending on the type of video post, Instagram videos can range from 3 seconds to 60 minutes in length. You have many filter options for your photos, as well as the ability to adjust and edit.
When you click on New Post (plus sign), you can select a photo or video from the gallery to edit and post. Click on the camera icon to take a new photo.
Instagram has around 24 filters that can be applied to photos and videos. Some additional editing options let you straighten your image, adjust brightness and warmth, and overlay colors, among other things. For videos, you can disable audio, choose cover frames, trim videos, add automatic subtitles via stickers, and more. Try Instagram Reels to create video clips up to 60 seconds long, or IGTV to create videos up to 60 minutes long.
After applying optional filters and making some edits, you'll be taken to a tab where you can fill in a title, tag other users, tag geolocation, and post to other social networks at the same time.
Once posted, your followers can view and interact with it in their feeds. Click the three dots at the top of a post to edit or delete, or go to your profile and click Menu > Your Activity > Photos & Videos > Posts to select multiple posts and delete them in bulk .
You can configure your Instagram account to post photos to other social media platforms. If these sharing configurations are highlighted instead of remaining gray and inactive, your Instagram photos will automatically be posted to your social network after you select "Share." If you don't want your photos to be shared on any particular social network, tap one so it's grayed out and set to "Off."
Instagram has a Stories feature which is a secondary feed that appears on top of the main feed. It contains photo bubbles of users you follow.
Click on the bubble to view that user's stories or the stories they posted in the past 24 hours. If you're familiar with Snapchat, you may have noticed how similar Instagram Stories functionality is to it.
To post to your Instagram Story, tap your photo bubble from the main feed, or swipe right on any tab to access the Story Camera tab. You can easily post photos and videos to your story and add them to your story later.
If you're using X on an iOS device, you can even share posts directly to your Instagram Stories. Select the share icon under the post and then select Instagram Story .
FAQ"Handle" is a colloquial way of saying "username" or "account name" in the Instagram world. So when someone refers to an "Instagram username," they are referring to the name of their Instagram account.
Influencers are well-known people with a large following on social media or the internet, who often make a living through their online presence. Many influencers use Instagram as their main platform and therefore they are Instagram influencers.
Shadowbans are a controversial topic on the internet, and most services won't confirm that these actually occur. However, on Instagram, a shadowban is considered a hidden ban, your account is still active, but your posts will only be visible to a very small number of followers.
