Instagram Confirms It’s Phasing Out Live Filters On iOS, But There Is A Workaround… For Now

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Instagram-iPhone-5
Instagram looks good on iPhone 5, but there's something missing.

As we reported on Tuesday, Instagram has updated its iOS app to introduce support for iPhone 5 and iOS 6. It’s a welcome update to those enjoying a new 4-inch display, but it’s not all good news: Instagram also pulled live filters from the iPhone 5. It has since confirmed that live filters will soon be phased out of the iOS app completely, but for now, there is a workaround for those who miss them.

While using the iPhone’s camera to upload picture to Instagram — as opposed to just selecting an image you’ve already snapped from your Camera Roll — live filters allowed you to see what your photo would look like with the desired effect before you actually hit the shutter button.

It was a popular feature, and it seems users weren’t pleased when it was pulled. But according to Instagram, it’s not coming back. It confirmed via its Help Center:

As of the current release (v3.1), Instagram does not support live filters on the iPhone 5. Going forward, live filters will be phased out as we work to improve the Instagram experience for all users.

Speculation suggests that live filters were removed because they were causing Instagram’s Android app to become slow and crash on certain devices. And in an effort to provide a unified user experience across all platforms, the feature will be pulled from both the Android and iOS apps.

However, as noted by iPhone Savior, there is a workaround:

To access the workaround open the app and select an image form your Photo Library > tap the Choose button > then tap the Red X to undo your selection > now tap the Cancel button on the top right to exit your library.

You’ll now see all the live filters present below. But be warned — you’ll need to complete these few cumbersome steps each time you want to access your live filters.

It’s unclear how long this workaround will last; it’s possible Instagram could remove it in a future update. But for now, you can still access live filters with a little bit of effort.

Source: iPhone Savior

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