View of the Instagram app home page

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As a digital photo app for smartphones and tablets, Instagram allows users to share photos and videos with other users . The app is free to download for Android, iOS and Windows operating systems. Users can log in with an email address and enter some basic information, as well as a profile photo.

Since 2012, this service has also been available via web browser. Users can create and manage a profile independently of the app.

Screenshot of the Spanish desktop version of Instagram
Structure and main features
Instagram has a clear structure : in addition to the function for uploading, editing and sharing photos with other users, there is a home page containing the latest news, a page with the notifications, search and inspiration realtor email database functions respectively, and finally an overview of your own profile. Like most of its competitors, Instagram has a comment function and the possibility of “liking” photos and videos on the platform. Instagram Direct allows you to share content privately via individual messages to your contacts or to chat groups.

Instagram homepage (source: Instagram app)
Videos on Instagram
Initially, Instagram was a picture-only platform, but soon after, Instagram integrated a feature to capture 15-second videos, while business users were allowed to upload videos of up to 60 seconds . Now, the latter option has been available to all users since early 2016. According to the company, this measure was implemented in response to the current trend where users would spend more time in the app while watching videos. iOS users have an additional feature: they can create videos from other clips directly from the app. The launch of these new video features is seen by many as a response to the growing community of followers of the short video app SnapChat.

Design and filters
The square layout is characteristic of Instagram. However, users can upload photos in this format or adjust the image as they wish. Today, this app offers a large number of layout options not only in itself, but also in layout apps that offer extensions such as, for example, the creation of collages. One feature that has made Instagram so popular is its filters for editing images. With these, users can upload photos from their smartphones or capture them directly from the app, edit them with numerous filters and finally publish them.

Filter functions for image editing in the app
Filter functions for image editing in the app
Instagram stream
Items uploaded to Instagram then appear in the feed. There, users find photos of people they follow, as well as sponsored images or videos. Previously, photos appeared chronologically, but now an algorithm is responsible for displaying first the content classified as relevant based on user activity (comments, likes, etc.). Unlike Facebook's algorithm, which filters out content completely, Instagram's algorithm only affects the order in which posts are displayed.