Instagram tries new, easier way to recover hacked accounts

There have been cases of Instagram accounts being hacked where the actual users can’t get in because the hackers immediately hijack the recovery tools to help users recover accounts. But now, Instagram is hoping this new method will make it easier for users to get a hold of hacked accounts as well as stop hackers from getting in in the first place. Instead of having to wait for an email or filling out a support form, the Instagram app will ask for different kinds of info, like your original email address or phone number. The recovery six-digit code will be sent to that contact info of choice. This gives you access to your account even if the hacker already changed the user name and contact data on your account.

At the same time, Instagram brought to Android users and is now rolling it out to iOS users the safeguard that would prevent anyone from claiming a username for a “period of time” after account changes—whether the account change was done because of a hack or a voluntary change. At the end of the day, what Instagram is trying to achieve is letting you recover your account within the app and without having to rely on its security team. Hopefully, this works out well and rolls out quicker than expected.

Source: Engadget + The Verge

Facebook will no longer pre-install its apps on Huawei phones

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Facebook is the latest US company to comply with the country’s ban on doing business with the Chinese tech company. The social media company announced it would no longer  the pre-installation of its apps on Huawei phones. According to a source familiar with the matter, this affects phones that haven’t left Huawei’s factory yet. Current Huawei owners can still use the apps and receive app updates, but new units won’t have Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram pre-installed. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to install the apps yourself. As it stands, Huawei devices still have access to the Play Store, so you will be able to download the apps there. But if the ban continues, then Huawei will be losing access to some of the most popular apps out there.

Source: Reuters

Instagram’s IGTV now supports landscape videos

Instagram has conceded that vertical videos aren’t all their cracked up to be. The app’s IGTV feature will now support landscape clips. The change was made because of creators’ and users’ feedback. The company said in a blog post, “In many ways, opening IGTV to more than just vertical videos is similar to when we opened Instagram to more than just square photos in 2015. It enabled creativity to flourish and engagement to rise—and we believe the same will happen again with IGTV.”

While it wasn’t outright said, Instagram had trouble making IGTV flourish. While the creators who worked with Instagram to build IGTV content liked it, they weren’t able to monetize these videos. The vertical video format also meant that they had to optimize their videos for the platform. It felt like there was extra work for little return. And according to creators who talked to The Verge, view counts were lower on the platform than on others. It was only when Instagram started allowing them to share the story to their feeds did viewership numbers increase.

Instagram tests out song lyric stickers

Instagram might be adding a new sticker to Stories: one that lets music lyrics play alongside a video. App researcher and tipster Jane Manchun Wong discovered the feature back in April and showed us how it works in a short clip. It shows a video of Rick Ashley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” with lyrics playing alongside it. The social network has been adding music features to Stories recently. In some markets, you can add background music to your posts and respond to questions with songs, among others.

Source: The Verge