New Instagram Updates and Features in 2021: #1

Hey there! It's been a long time since I've written anything here. So here I am, with some new updates on Instagram. Let me know in the comments, is this something you would like to read frequently - to keep updated about Instagram? Give me a comment :))

1. "Add Yours" sticker

Out of blue, you might have noticed stories, where people share their sky or phone screen lock wallpapers or in my case, my IG grid. But it looks much different from the usual stories, where a bunch of accounts are mentioned and we thank them for mentioning our account.

"Add Yours" sticker feature

The new feature, which currently is in the test mode and is available to some of the lucky ones, has shown a huge interest. If you have the sticker, you can add it to your story and add any topic that your friends or followers can share along with by tapping on "Add Yours". You will be notified when someone has joined in and added their content, as well as you can see in your story insights "Responses", how many users directly have shared their content through your story. You can also see the total amount of users, who have added their content and are currently active on stories (the overall number might fall since stories are 24h long) by tapping on the sticker. As well as, who was the user who started this topic.

You can see the total amount of users, who have added their content and are currently active on stories

What do you think of this feature? Personally, I love it! I think it will open new doors to creative opportunities and friendships.

2. Reels effects: Lyrics and Superbeat

Instagram wants to make it easier for you to perform and edit Reels via their platform, so it's not a wonder new features are added and probably many more will come. Dynamic Lyrics and 3D Lyrics: Do you love adding music to your stories? Seeing those lyrics on your story keeps it more interesting right? Well, now you can do the same on Reels, but on a much more advanced level. Play around with the movement, music, etc. You can adjust the size of the lyrics, change the font, it's color, depth, rotate it, and adjust the effects.

Superbeat: Superbeat lets you apply automatically visual edit/effect to your Reel based on the song you've picked. You can also choose the beat effects (bass, superbeat, repeat, chroma, refract).

Instagram launches three new effects on Reels

It's new, therefore be ready to have plenty of glitches and other issues, but worth the try!

3. Account Status

Ever had the feeling that your posts are not doing that well? Perhaps, you've shared a comment that wasn't that nice or you posted pictures that definitely should NOT be on Instagram. Maybe you also send too many DMs and here it is - the Action Block notification.

But you're like - meh! And keep doing this later on once again and again. Obviously, without any harm - with good intentions. But doing this frequently, and not following Instagram Community guidelines can harm your account. This can end up with your account being disabled.

Action blocks appear when you exceed hourly or daily action limits. Also, when Instagram's anti-spam algorithm detects that the actions are automated

The new update: Account Status will be your one-stop shop to see what's happening with your account, as well as content distribution. Meaning, you will be more informed if your account is at risk of being disabled. And no one wants that, right? Hence, this update is very useful for those who are very new to Instagram.

However, if you feel like you've done nothing like the mentioned and you're sure IG has made a mistake, you'll be able to appeal by hitting the "request a review" directly from your Account Status.

Account Status will be your one-stop shop to see what's happening with your account, as well as content distribution

4. Activity feed: outage or a technical issue

Picture by @Instagram

Remember that famous day when the world united in memes and had a huge party on Twitter when IG, FB, and Whatsapp went down? Well...yeah. On that day, I really thought my phone went crazy, the Wi-fi was my enemy, and turning on and off my phone definitely didn't fix it.

So in order for us not to run to Twitter or any other platform for help, Instagram wants to inform you directly.

"a new feature will notify you in your Activity Feed when we (Instagram) experience an outage or technical issue, and when it is resolved. We won’t send a notification every single time there is an outage, but when we see that people are confused and looking for answers, we’ll determine if something like this could help make things clearer."

Although this is definitely a useful feature, the testing starts in the US first and maybe will spread to a wider audience later on. What do you think? Yay or nay?

5. Instagram Video

When it comes to videos, Instagram definitely won't stop just here. Many more updates await us in the future. Like this one: Instagram Video. Let me know in the comments if you got this update already! :))

Your IGTV and feed videos in the future will be combined under Instagram Video. Meaning, an easier way to create and discover your videos. How about reels? Well, reels are shorter format content, this is why it will keep its own separate tab.

Picture by @creators

So when IG says, it will be easier to create and search for videos, this is what they mean:

✔️ 60-second Feed Previews - is an amazing feature, allowing users to preview your video much longer than before. It gives you a longer time to "sell" your video, rather than before where you watched for 15-seconds and you simply got too lazy to press the button "continue watching", right? Definitely happy with this one!

✔️ A new Video tab on Profile - honestly, I like this one a lot too! Videos and pictures are supposed to be separated for an easier search and overview, in my opinion. This gives an opportunity to find content easier. Right now if I go to someone's profile and I want to see their feed videos (not reels), there is no tab that separates the user's feed videos. So thumbs up!

The other features that are already available for Reels but also will be for Instagram Videos:

✔️ Trimming

✔️ Ability to upload captions

✔️ People & location tagging

6. LIVE scheduling and practicing

Ever wanted to try Instagram Live, but were too scared? Well, good news! Instagram now lets you practice. You can go live by yourself or practice with others - isn't this great? Now you have the chance to see how it works. More importantly, for those who already are going Live, this feature is gold!

Now you can practice going Live or schedule your Live up to 90 days

This feature helps you prepare, to avoid any technical issues. You can see how the light is set up and if you have any presentation - does it work perfectly. Is going Live also part of your Instagram strategy? Yes or no? :) Share your experience in the comments!

That's it for this week! Tap the ❤️ if you liked this article and would love to see more articles like this in the future