Instagram is among the fastest growing and most used social networks out there. The photo sharing platform has become more engaging after the launch of their 'Stories' feature that was inspired by rival Snapchat. Instagram recently announced that it has crossed the 700-million-active-user mark. And, even Instagram Stories now has more active users than Snapchat. Here are some tips to get the most out of your Instagram:
1. See your liked photos
Liking a photo in Instagram is one of the core activities around the experience. To see all the posts that you have liked, go to options by clicking the three dot menu on the top. Under the Account tab you will see the 'Posts You've Liked' section.
2. Post multiple photos
Click on 'Post a Photo' and select the 'Post Multiple' option. Then, select up to 10 photos in the order you want them to be seen in the post. When the user clicks next, she will have the option to select filters or edit each photo in the post. She can also change the order by holding a photo and dragging it to the desired position.
3. Hide posts from the photo carousel
After its latest update, Instagram now allows you to hide older posts from public view instead of deleting them. Open any photo, click on the three dot menu and select the 'Archive' option. You can re-share the archived posts later as well.
4. Make your profile private
If you want to have total control over your Instagram account, allowing only your followers to see the pictures, you can make your profile private. That would mean if someone wants to follow you they will send you a request and you will have to approve it. Go to 'Options' and under the 'Account' tab, you will find the toggle to switch your account to private.
5. Hide Stories from certain people
To customise the viewability of your story, you can go to 'Story' settings under 'Account' tab in 'Options'. Under that, you can search for your followers and hide stories from them. Note that posted stories will still be visible to the people you've selected.
6. Press to pause the story
While you're watching a story, be it a photo or a video, you can put your finger on the screen to pause it at that moment.
7. How to remove the photos you're tagged in
From your profile page go to the 'Photos of You' section. Under that, click on your photo and then the tag. You can remove the photo from the section or even remove the tag.
8. Use clever hashtags
Hashtags are a very effective and easy way to get followers. Now, to post relevant hashtags to your photo or video, search for a certain hashtag and Instagram will show you how many photos are under that particular hashtag.
9. Create collages
Instagram's Layout app will let you create collages with multiple photos. You will have to download the app separately. It will let you mirror and flip certain photos to create a beautiful effect as well.
10. Locations stories and discovery
One of Instagram's strengths has always been making people see more photos. In the discovery section, you can see many photos from different accounts. And based on the photos you like, you'll get suggestions on similar photos and accounts. After Instagram added Stories, it now has stories for each location as well. For instance if you live in Mumbai and add the location tag to your story, Instagram might feature it.