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Instagram Are Giving Users More Control Over Who Sees Their Posts

Pocket-lint

Sharing options on Instagram have always been relatively basic, that is to say, you share a post and all your followers can see it. When the platform first emerged, there was no need for anything more sophisticated than that, it was just an app for sharing photos, but now it's one of the largest social networks out there and it's used for far, far more than uploading a landscape shot of a pretty sunset.

Reports have come out that Instagram are testing out private and/or limited sharing options, so that users can share content only to select groups of followers. This way, users would be able to customise their audience, which could drastically change the way people use the platform. Hackers have been tinkering around with this for years, but nothing has ever stuck.

Instagram have clearly recognised the demand for this feature, and they're taking cues from Facebook to bring it to life. They're calling it 'favourites', and as the name suggests, it's a list of close contacts which can be fully customised at will. When sharing a picture/video, you simply choose between the standard share button and a 'share to favourites' button. There's also a new tab which allows you to view everything you've ever shared to your favourites in one place.

The only way you'll know if you're on anybody else's favourites list is if you see a little green badge above their posts. If you can see that, then you'll be able to visit and view their favourites tab, and if you suddenly find that it's empty, it means that they've removed you, and it's probably time to start figuring out what you need to apologise for. You can't request to be added to a favourites list, either, it's all completely geared towards the user's discretion, which means that most users will likely only populate their favourites list with people that they interact with regularly.

It's more upfront than Facebook's version, and also more basic, as Facebook encourages you to make multiple lists, one of the reasons why their select friends feature has never really taken off. The green badge is also key; much like the little red number you see when you get a notification, seeing a green icon above certain posts will likely provide users with a little shot of dopamine, encouraging them to respond in kind.

Currently, the feature is being very carefully released to a small pool of users, but Instagram have been developing it for the better part of a year, and their enthusiasm about it suggests that they're keen to get it launched as soon as they can.



Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum

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Instagram Are Giving Users More Control Over Who Sees Their Posts Reviewed by Unknown on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 Rating: 5
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