What is Instagram and how does it work? Find out what you need to know if you've never used Instagram before.
Instagram is one of the largest social networks today, but not everyone knows about it. If you don't use social media, you may be wondering what Instagram is and how it works.
Below, we offer an introductory overview of Instagram. Let's see what it is, what people use it for, and how to use its features on your own. Eventually, you should have a good understanding of how Instagram works.
What is Instagram
is a free social networking service based on sharing photos and videos. It launched in October 2010 first on the iPhone and became available on Android in April 2012. Facebook bought the service in April 2012 and has owned it ever since.
Like most social media apps, Instagram allows you to follow the users you care about. This creates a feed on your homepage, showing recent posts from everyone you follow. You can like posts, comment on them and share them with other people.
In addition to posting regular photos and videos, which remain permanently on your page, Instagram also supports Stories. If you've used Snapchat or most other social media platforms, you'll be familiar with these. Stories allow you to post many photos and video clips in a series. Anyone can view them for 24 hours, after which they expire.
Not all options for video; Instagram also offers IGTV and Reels. The reels are very similar to what you'll find on TikTok - short video clips that are easier to share and find than stories. And IGTV is for long-form videos that you want to keep on your profile.
On top of all this, Instagram also supports direct messaging so you can chat with friends privately. You can also browse the profiles to see what else you might be interested in.
We will show you how this all works.
How to get started with Instagram
The best way to understand more about how Instagram works is to start using it for yourself. To do this, you will need to create an account on or by downloading or.
You can also install, which is basically a mobile app port. Although Instagram has a desktop site, it is quite limited. It's acceptable to browse your feed, but Instagram is definitely a smartphone-centric service.
When you sign up, you can do it via Facebook. Alternatively, provide your name, email address and set up a username and password. You can create multiple Instagram accounts if you ever need them.
How Instagram works
Let's take a quick tour through each of Instagram's main features and pages. You will learn how to access these features and what they do.
Explore and profiles
Instagram isn't much fun without people to follow. Press the magnifying glass icon in the bottom bar and you will open the Explore page. Here, you'll see the images and users Instagram thinks you might like, along with the categories above that you can use to see more about a specific topic. As you use Instagram more and interact with posts, the recommendations on this page will improve.
Use the search bar above to search for the people you want to follow. Press the Follow button on an Instagram profile to subscribe to the user's posts. From then on, you'll see what they share in your Home tab. You can unfollow an account at any time using the same procedure.
On profiles, you may also see options to message or email the person, depending on their settings. Profiles can include a location and a link, along with archived stories. Tap the Follower fields to search for those accounts and check who follows them that you know too.
You'll see the tabs for the profile's Instagram content below:
- The icon of the grid , on the left, is a feed of all their standard photos and videos.
- The icon of rollers , which has a play button, collects all the reels of the person.
- Next is the button IGTV , which is an archive of all the longest videos.
- The icon on the right collects the images in which the account has been tagged.
In particular, you can set your Instagram profile to private. This means that only people you approve can see your posts. When someone wants to follow you, they have to send a request that you confirm, otherwise they can't see much on your page. It's just a way to make Instagram more private.
Finally, keep an eye on the blue check mark on the profiles. This means a verified profile, which means that Instagram has confirmed that it is actually that public figure and not an imposter.
Your feed
After following a few accounts on Instagram, your Home tab will become a much livelier place. On it, you will see posts from those you follow. These include images and videos that people post on their profile, as well as previews of IGTV videos that you can tap to view in their entirety.
Above, Instagram shows profile pictures of people who have a new story for you to see. Tap one and you'll start watching the stories. You can tap the right side of the screen to skip to the next section of that user's story or swipe right to left to skip that person entirely. The stories will continue until you reach the end of everyone you follow, with announcements interrupted at various points.
At the top right you will see the Messages icon. Tap this to start a new direct message with one or more accounts or view current messages. You can also use Video Chat Rooms.
More Instagram Cards
There are many other tabs and buttons on the Instagram interface that you should know about. At the top, tap the heart button to open the Activity page, where you'll see notifications about new followers, mentions, and the like.
In the bottom navigation bar, there is a Reels button in the center. Tap this to open a Reels feed that Instagram thinks you'll like. You can scroll through these to view more; tap the icons in the lower right corner to comment, share or see other reels that have used the current music.
To the right of the Reels tab is a Shop tab, where you can purchase various products sold through the platform.
Finally, tap the Profile icon in the lower right corner to open your page. Here you can edit your profile and review the appearance of your page. Tap the three-line menu button in the top right to access a lot more, including your saved posts and the Settings menu.
How to post on Instagram
To upload a new post to Instagram, tap the Plus icon in the top right corner of the screen. This allows you to take a new photo or video or upload an existing image from your phone's gallery. You can also add multiple images to a post.
After taking the photo, you can apply one of the many Instagram filters with a simple tap. If you want more control, try making changes manually using the Edit tab.
Finally, on the last screen, you can add a caption to your photo, tag people, mark the location if you want and choose whether to share it on other social networks. Tap Advanced Settings for more tools, like disabling comments or hiding the Like count.
After you hit Share, your photo will appear on your profile and in your followers' feeds.
History, reels and live posts
After tapping the Plus button to create a new post, you can use the tabs below to change the type to Story, Reels, or Live.
On the story maker, you can choose from a ton of filters down below, as well as the options on the left. After taking a photo, you will have more utilities at the top to add music, stickers, text and more. At the bottom, you can tap Your Story or Close Friends to choose who sees the story.
The reels will allow you to create short videos similar to, as mentioned earlier. And Live allows you to broadcast in real time to your followers, using a variety of filters if you wish.
