New to Instagram? Tips and Tricks you should check out | Technology News

Now while avid Instagrammers might have mastered the art of increasing followers and likes on their accounts, those new to the platform might be overwhelmed by the number of features. So we have put together a list of tips and tricks that are likely to step up your Instagram game.

Filters

Remember Instagram is all about great photos, the kind of filters, and hashtags that you use. Great photos do not necessarily mean those clicked with a DSLR, but those in focus and with right amount of light will also do the trick. Plus Instagram offers a host of filters to choose from before uploading a picture. You can tap the filter twice to change the strength of it before sharing the photo.

Hashtags, Location

Adding local hashtags related to a picture will help increase followers around you. For a wider reach, just check the relevant ones that are trending and add them to your picture. Tagging location of where the picture was taken helps as well. Another tip is don’t add your hashtags all in the caption. Your first comment can be the hashtags if you plan to use too many in one go.

Archive

Want to hide a picture from your followers without removing it from Instagram? This is where the Archive feature comes in. You can simply click on “…” at the top of a post and choose ‘Archive’. These posts will only be visible to you in an Archive folder, which appears on top right corner of profile.

Want to hide a picture from your followers without removing it from Instagram? This is where the Archive feature comes in.

In fact, you can choose to make these posts visible to followers again at any point of time, with all likes and comments intact. To do so, just tap on ‘Show on Profile’ option.

Send disappearing photos, videos

Direct message will let you send disappearing photos, videos to a friend or group of friends. The option appears when you right swipe left in Direct. Click on the blue camera icon to take disappearing photos or hold onto it to capture a video. Next, simply tap the send button. Instagram lets you keep a track of who has seen your message.

Avert confusion with message threads

Comment threads essentially makes it easier to reply to specific threads in the comment section. Click on reply tab underneath a particular comment to start a separate comments thread. From here on, all replies on this comment will be grouped in a separate thread.

Direct message will let you send disappearing photos, videos to a friend or group of friends. The option appears when you right swipe left in Direct.

Block offensive comments

Instagram lets you block offensive, inappropriate comments on posts as well as in live videos. To activate, click on the “…” settings menu and then Comments. It is important to note that the feature only removes offensive comments, while the other ones will appear as is. You can still report, delete or turn regular comments.

Reduce spam in comments

Instagram recently updated its platform to add the ability to filter spam in comments and live videos. It allows for removing spam in nine languages which include English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French, German, Russian, Japanese and Chinese.

Boomerang

Right Boomerang captured at the right time can be a lot of fun. Boomerang, which used to be a separate app, was integrated into Instagram Stories features. You can click on the infinity icon besides camera icon in Stories window to start using Boomerang.

Comment threads essentially makes it easier to reply to specific threads in the comment section.

Boomerangs are short videos that play in a loop, similar to a GIF. If you like GIFs, then it is likely you’d find Boomerang interesting, more so because they’re more personalised. You can add filters, stickers, and designs to make Boomerangs more fun.

Time-lapse videos with Hyperlapse app

With Hyperlapse app, you can create hyperlapse videos to up to 12x, and post them on Instagram. The service automatically reduces shakes in a video for a steady shot.