Instagram tries to combat bullying with new features

Instagram is introducing new features that the service is hoping will put a stop to bullying. The first one is already rolling out to users. It’s a new artificial intelligence-backed feature that reminds users to take a step back before making a potentially offensive comment. Users will receive an alert that says “Are you sure you want to post this?” with an undo option and more information hidden behind a Learn More prompt. Instagram claims, “From early tests of this feature, we have found that it encourages some people to undo their comment and share something less hurtful once they have had a chance to reflect.”

Another feature Instagram is introducing will help those bullied to escape those who are tormenting them. Instagram will basically let people restrict access to their accounts. This means if you restrict someone, the comments they make on your account will only be visible to that person. Or you can choose to make these comments visible by approving their comments. People you restrict won’t see if you’re active on Instagram or when you’ve read their messages. According to Instagram, they’ve done this because they “heard from young people in our community that they’re reluctant to block, unfollow, or report their bully because it could escalate the situation, especially if they interact with their bully in real life. Some of these actions also make it difficult for a target to keep track of their bully’s behavior.”

Source: 9to5Mac

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.