Instagram for iOS

With Instagram, you can shoot, edit, and share your photos and videos in a snap. Its extensive, impressive collection of built-in editing tools includes 40 photo and video filters.

Pros

Instagram Stories: Add your photos and videos -- and now live videos -- to daily collections called Instagram Stories. You can mark them up with text and drawing tools, but don't get too attached, because they expire after 24 hours. Tap Your Story on the top rail to get started. You can also watch others' stories within the 24-hour time period. Instagram's new live feature lets you to go live for up to one hour. Just open the camera and tap the Start Live Video button to begin. You can also search for and watch friends' live videos.

Great filters: Instagram's claim to fame is its 40 photo and video filters, which lighten, brighten, soften, darken, and age your media. You can also transform your photos and videos from color to black and white. If certain filters don't appeal to you, click Manage and uncheck to hide them.

Extensive editing tools: If you'd prefer to edit media yourself, you can easily adjust, sharpen, and brighten your photos, as well as add highlights, shadows, and more. Tap the Lux button, which looks like a half-filled sun, to correct photos that are underexposed or lack contrast.

Tagging people: Whereas Facebook's mobile app only allows you to tag existing friends in photos, Instagram lets you tag anyone. People who are tagged can easily untag themselves, if they choose.

Trending tags and places: Search photos by entering a search term and then tapping Top (for top accounts, locations, and tags), People (top accounts), Tags (top tags), or Places (top locations). Explore lets you see suggested photos based on the people you follow. You can also search photos by trending tags and places.

Multiple views: See your photos in grid view, scrolling view, or map view. You can also limit your selection to just photos of you.

Easy sharing to other social media: Share your Instagram posts to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr with just a few clicks. You can also directly share others' posts to Facebook or Twitter or copy a Share URL link and post to other social sites.

Direct messaging: Instagram Direct enables you to directly share photos or videos with other users, whether or not you follow each other. Instagram has added disappearing photos and videos to its messaging feature, so you can send temporary photos and videos to friends and groups. After snapping a photo or shooting video, tap the arrow to send it privately. These private photos and videos will disappear after your friends have seen them.

Great privacy features: You can disable your location, so you're not sharing where you took your photos and videos. Under Options, toggle to Private Account to keep your photos private or visible only to approved followers.

Cons

In-app camera: The in-app camera operates slowly, and you can take only one shot before the app takes you to the editing page. If you're unhappy with your photo, you have to hit the back button to take another picture. With the iPhone's native Camera app, you can take multiple photos in quick succession, and you have more photo-shape options, from default to Square to Pano. That's why it's often preferable to take the photo with Camera first and then share to Instagram.

Bottom Line

If you're a photo enthusiast who wants to share your images and videos with 500 million Instagrammers, or if you like following other people's photo feeds, then Instagram for iOS is an essential download.

More Resources

Instagram for Android

Layout from Instagram for iOS

Layout from Instagram for Android