Insta's Website Got A Small But Important Upgrade

Instagram has made a few upgrades to the app as of late, but that doesn't mean they're neglecting the website. Even though its use is almost exclusively mobile, the Instagram website has now added an "Activity" tab that lets you see all of your new notifications on your computer, as you would in the app. Now, you can view your likes, comments, tags, and new followers, without ever having to pick up your phone. It's about time, is it not?

Instagram hasn't made any official announcements about the update, so I don't really think this is the start of the app coming to your desktop. (Besides, that would kind of ruin how easy the app is.) What's cool, though, is that if you just want to check up on your account to see if anything new has popped up, you can do it right at your computer. I'm finding it especially helpful for the business account I manage. I don't want to get on my phone and get sucked into the app, which totally happens because it's so darn fun. I just need to know the essentials. With this new update to the website, I can!

Here's a screenshot of what my account looks like on my desktop. I have no new notifications because no one loves me, but you get the idea. That little heart in the top right corner wasn't there before. That's where the action happens.

This looks to be the only change to the website right now, although the app is looking slightly different these days. Instagram videos now show how many views they've gotten; in fact, the number of views has replaced the likes. And speaking of likes, you probably also noticed that they change to a number before they hit 11 now, which is definitely a cool little upgrade, because those first 10 likes were always terrifying. Would you get to 11, or would you be stuck with a list of names? Ugh, the anxiety.

Instagram has also added a feature that more easily lets you switch between accounts; furthermore, they recently announced that our newsfeed would be changing from showing pictures chronologically to ordering them based on what Instagram thinks you'll be interested in.

The future is now, people. The future is now.

Images: Megan Grant/Instagram