Instagram CEO addresses query about the lack of an iPad version of its app

Almost 10 years since Instagram took the world by storm, yet the now Facebook-owned social network still doesn't have an iPad app. And we get an explanation from the company's CEO Adam Mosseri. Sort of. According to Mosseri, Instagram doesn't have the resources to develop for both platforms. That might be hard to believe considering who owns the company. But Mosseri said, "We'd like to build an iPad app, but we only have so many people and lots to do, and it hasn't bubbled up as the next best thing to do yet."

Instagram has kept quiet for a while over the lack of an official iPad app. When asked why it prioritized bringing direct messages to the web over an iPad app, the company said that it thinks direct messages are important because they help users "stay in touch with people you care about." While the explanation might seem lacking, unfortunately, if you're still holding out hope, we suggest that it's time to move on.

Source: 9to5Mac

Instagram now shows you which accounts you interact with the most and least

Are you due an Instagram followers purge? The social network now lets you see which accounts you've interacted the most or least with. When you head to your "Following" list, you should see the options "Least interacted with" and "Most shown in feed." The feature makes it easier to decide if you want to cut accounts out or get updates from those you want to get more information from. 

On top of that, you can also sort your Following list from earliest to latest followed or vice versa. If you are thinking of cutting down on your Instagram following list, now is the best time to do that.

You can now reply to Instagram Stories with GIFs

It might not be an essential update, but Instagram now lets users reply to Stories using GIFs. You can already add GIFs from Giphy into Stories themselves. Now, you can use these GIFs to reply to Instagram Stories, too. Maybe sometimes, when words aren't enough, there are GIFs to help you better express yourself.

Instagram takes out ‘Following’ activity tab for all users

Some of you may have already noticed that Instagram has introduced a new change to its app. The company has started rolling out an update that gets rid of the "Following" tab. It's previously accessible through the Activity section within the app. So, now when you select on the heart icon at the bottom of the screen, it'll only show your activity. Instagram started taking this feature out for some users since August, but now it'll begin rolling out to all users. 

According to Vishal Shah, Instagram's head of product, the decision to remove the Following tab was so the app has a simpler look. Shah said, "People didn't always know that their activity is surfacing. So you have a case where it's not serving the use case you built it for, but it's also causing people to be surprised when their activity is showing up." 

 Source: Buzzfeed News