Instagram 3.0 is launching today on both Android and iPhone. Whereas previous updates focused on bug fixes, new filters, and speed enhancements, Instagram 3.0 is brings some big UI changes so users can interact with photos in a new way. The key? Geotagging and Photomaps.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom explained the new changes
“With every data release we’ve tried to shift our focus dramatically. Instagram 2.0, with its new filters, etc, was all about the user’s production experience. Instagram 3.0 is about a new kind of browser experience, Photo Maps. Photo Maps is such a fun way of re-descovering yourself, but not just yourself, all Instagram users”
The new Photo Maps feature uses location data to create a custom map of photos, which allows users to create a coherent story. The idea behind Photo Maps is that no one ever scrolls back through all a friend’s pictures, but with Photo Map, each user can add a stack of photos to a specific location on the map, and then friends can view their history at that location.
Systrom says the new feature will evoke feelings of nostalgia in users. “We’ve had people who moved here from Belgium going back and looking at photos from home and remembering a different time. Location is a new dimension. Viewing photos is not just about the ephemeral nature of snapshots, it’s about going back into your bedroom and opening your shoeboxes.”
Instagram 3.0 launches today as a free update on both Android and iPhone. For more info on how to use the new Photo Map feature, check out the official Instagram walkthrough video below.
Source: TechCrunch
