What is Instagram?

Today, one of the greatest social media networks is Instagram, yet numerous folks are unaware of it. If you are not an active social media user, you might wonder what Instagram is and how it operates.

This quick article offers a fundamental overview of Instagram and by the end, you will be skilled enough to handle an Instagram account. 

What is Instagram?

Instagram is a free social networking platform developed around sharing photos and videos. It was introduced in October 2010, initially on iPhone, and became accessible on Android later. In April 2012, Facebook bought the Instagram platform and has owned it since.

Likewise different social media platforms, Instagram too permits you to follow users whom you are interested in. The platform generates a feed on your timeline (home page), displaying recent posts from the users you follow. It also enables you to like posts, comment on them, and share them with other people.

Besides posting pictures and videos that persist permanently on your home page, Instagram further offers a feature called Stories. If you have been a user of snap chat or similar social media platforms, your experience will likely be identical while using Stories. Stories enable you to post a collection of images and video clips in a series that possess a validity of 24 hours, after which they disappear.

Videos on Instagram are not limited to the posting option, Instagram moreover introduced IGTV and Reels — the most demanded features. Reels are primarily short videos that are comparable to TikTok videos, short video clips are easier to discover and share in comparison to Stories. Whereas IGTV is for longer-form videos that you wish to maintain on your profile.

In addition to all those features, Instagram also provides messaging features, where you can chat with buddies and do video calling privately, as well.

How to Get Started With Instagram?

Using the platform on your own is the best effective method to figure out how Instagram operates. To start with, you’ll be required to sign up for an account by providing your name, email address, and setting a username and password on Instagram’s website, or by downloading the Instagram application for Android or iOS. 

Instagram is also accessible to install for windows 10, — which is a lite version of the mobile app. The desktop site of Instagram carries limitations and is only decent for browsing your feeds, as Instagram is a smartphone-focused platform.

Signing up for Instagram can also be executed alternatively through Facebook as well — Once you sign up on Instagram, you’ll become a user of it and will be allowed to perform activities (posting, liking, commenting, sharing) on the platform through your account.