Have you noticed these changes on Instagram in 2021?

The userbase of photo-sharing platform Instagram is growing rapidly and new features are being added to it to give users a better experience. The year 2021 was great for Instagram and its reels and stories feature lovers also grew. However, the Instagram for Kids app could not be launched this year and it was decided to stop the scheme. Let's know what changed for Instagram in 2021.

Professional Dashboard for Creator Accounts

Meta's ownership Instagram app has promoted creators and business accounts since the beginning of 2021. They were given features to better brand and take their product to more followers. The professional dashboard was made a part of the app early in the year. The company also started showing better insights on content to let creators know how much their content is being liked.

Many improvements to Instagram Reels feature

The Instagram Reels short video feature that came into the app last year was given several upgrades. In April, Instagram gave users the option to remix reels, in which they can share their feedback on an original clip by creating another reel. In the second half, the time limit for reels videos was increased from 30 seconds to 60 seconds. The company also started showing in full-screen ads reels, which appear in the middle of individual ads.

Features like Collab and Live Rooms 

The Collab feature is included in the Instagram app so that users can share content together. With this, users can make other accounts a part of posts or reels as collaborators. With the Live Rooms feature, the company simultaneously gave up to four users a chance to be a part of the live broadcast. Earlier only one additional user could join the broadcast and only two people were seen together on Instagram Live.

Major changes made to the stories feature 

There are also a lot of users sharing stories on Instagram and the translation feature for the text that appears in them came out this year. This made it easier for international audiences to understand the text written in stories. The company removed the 'Swipe Up for Link' gesture in Stories and replaced it with link stickers. Users can now share third-party links and write custom text with the help of stickers.

Try to rein in hatred and hate

The photo-sharing platform tried not to let users face racism and hatred. The company banned a large number of accounts for doing so and action was taken against them. With the Limits feature, creators also got the option to hide and stop specific comments on their posts. With this feature, all public users stop getting the option to comment.

Trying to find out the age and identity of users

New safety features for younger users have also been included on Instagram this year. Some changes have been made to protect teenage users from dangerous content and they will also be asked to take a break from the platform. It has become mandatory for all users to tell the app about their birthday. Instagram has been accused of adversely affecting mental health, which the company has revealed new features.

Instagram's userbase is more than a billion

More than a billion people worldwide use the Instagram app and users spend an average of 53 minutes a day on the app. An average of more than 10 hashtags are installed in each post shared on the platform. More importantly, more than 70 percent of active Instagram users are under 35 years of age, which is what can be called a youth social media platform.