Almost a week left and we will say goodbye to 2020. This year we spent most of our time doing online activities; some applications have added new features to help us stay entertained while being at home.
One of these applications is Instagram; Instagram had supported its users and the community through this crisis. People already love Instagram and it could be the number one favorite application for the majority of people. And let’s admit it, the new features Instagram added this year, made it even more interesting.
Ergo, let us give you a quick recap on the features Instagram had added this year.
1- Boomerang Creative Modes
This feature was released in Jan 2020. The feature offers 3 creative modes that allow the user to take a boomerang in SloMo, Echo, and Duo. This was a smart feature since almost everyone likes taking SloMo videos.
2- Managing Who You Follow
Instagram added this feature in February 2020; it allows the users to control the accounts they follow. The feature also provides shortcuts to the accounts the users follow to give them easy access, and it organizes them by category.
The user can see the most shown in the feed and least accounts they interact with; also they can edit how they see their following, by default, latest, or earliest.
3- New Instagram Stickers
Since the situation became harder in March and we all quarantined at home, Instagram was there for us. The application had added stickers to its collection, one of them was “Stay Home” to encourage people to stay inside and practice social distancing during the pandemic’s outbreak.
Also, in April, the application added another sticker, which said: “Thank You Hour”. The goal of this sticker is to show gratitude for those who are helping to keep the community safe during these dark times.
As many businesses suffered due to COVID-19, Instagram had added another sticker called “Support Small Business” in May. This sticker was to support the small-medium businesses. People can mention the business they want in the sticker in their story so their followers could see.
The sticker was a major help in attracting new customers to small businesses.
4- Presenting “Reels”
Instagram launched “Reels” in Egypt in June; it was the best experience for those who love creating short films. The feature has options to help the user to create and edit videos that could get them discovered on a global stage.
5- Shopping Expansion
In June, also, the application had added a new feature called “Shopping Expansion” that helped brands and even shop owners to set up an online store.
6- Cross App
In October, Instagram had updated its DM section to give a similar experience to Facebook Messenger. The DM now has similar features to the messenger, like themes, reactions, and replying to a reply.
7- Guides
IG in November expanded its “Guides” feature. This feature made it easy for users to find and share places, posts, products from their favorite Instagram accounts.
8- Reels and Shop Tabs
Also, in November, Instagram had added the “Reels and Shop Tabs” feature. This feature helps users to easily find videos and find their favorite products from all over the world. It also gives them a better connection with brands and creators.
Share with us which of these features was your favorite.
