Well, I’ll be… Never thought I’d see the day an app update would hit Android users before those on iOS, especially an app as big as Instagram. I have to admit… it feels kinda good.
In any case, an update to Instagram — available now on Android and coming soon to iOS — is bringing a few new photo editing tools to the social network. The 2 new options include the ability to alter the tint of shadows in an image (Color), and lighten up shadows for a retro film look (Fade). While Color intensity can’t be adjusted, Fade can, allowing users to add a little or a whole lot.
In another small, but huge addition, Instagram is finally giving users the option to subscribe to their favorite ‘grammers. Simply hit up someone’s profile page, click the 3-dot menu and select “Turn on Post Notifications” and you’ll receive a notification on your phone every time that person uploads a new photo (previously, I had to use an IFTTT recipe to accomplish this). This is extremely useful for those that follow a boat load of people on Instagram and often times miss out on photos from their favorite users. This option is available right now for both Android and iOS users.
With every passing update, Instagram is slowing finding itself poised to tackle hardcore photo editing apps like VSCO Cam who have typically offered users a far greater set of tools and higher quality uploads. Now, if Instagram could only drop the square requirement, increase the resolution of their photos, and fix the poor upload quality on Android devices — they just might be able to sway over photo enthusiasts.
You can find Instagram 6.19.0 on Google Play right now.
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