In its 11-year history, Instagram has only allowed its users to post photos and videos from its mobile app. But that could change soon with Instagram confirming that it's testing desktop posting. “We know that many people access Instagram from their computers. To improve this experience, we are now testing the ability to create an Instagram post using your desktop browser,” an Instagram spokesperson said. Social media consultant Matt Navarra is one of the users involved in the test, and he posted screenshots on Twitter of what the new feature looks like on desktop. To see if you are also in the tests, log in to the desktop and look for the "plus" symbol in the upper right corner.
NEW! @Instagram allows you to create and post articles via the desktop. pic.twitter.com/JWzwKg1kyO June 24, 2021 See More Don't expect desktop support to reach all of Instagram though, as users involved in the test can only post photos and videos on the main stream and not yet they can create Instagram stories or reels. It wasn't impossible to upload photos to Instagram from a PC before this test, but there are some serious hurdles users face in doing so. This involves downloading third-party apps to your computer, so Instagram's own desktop functionality will streamline the experience.
What Instagram has learned from a pandemic
In April 2020, Instagram introduced direct messaging support on desktop and web browsers. In a blog post five months later, Instagram data scientist Yorgos Askalidis wrote about what the company had learned from the new feature. “We are seeing… higher usage of desktop websites during the week and during the day (6am-2pm), while native apps are seeing higher usage during evening hours (5-7pm). ) and weekends," Askalidis wrote. "This analysis also shows how important the desktop web experience is for Instagram business accounts, who often use their personal computers during their work days." Askalidis said that Instagram had found no evidence that desktop use cannibalized mobile app use, but rather, "it's the opposite: users who use both interfaces spend more time on each interface, compared to users who use both interfaces." they use each interface exclusively." As a result, Askalidis said, “Given these results, we have focused on creating products that can improve the user experience across the entire Instagram ecosystem, including web interfaces. As Askalidis pointed out, Instagram has moved beyond a photo-sharing platform. Many businesses use Instagram to promote their services, while some content creators take photos with a camera, use software to edit them, and a third-party app to upload them. At the same time, with the pandemic pushing the masses to work from home, Instagram recognizes that it must accommodate those who want to browse from their computers, and this much-requested feature is another effort to make that happen.