IG: Not Always Insta
With Instagram’s latest update, I’ve noticed some of the newer aspects of the update are actually quite frustrating. I’d like to go over some of these aspects with you.
Lack of clarity of new icons
When going to post a story, there have been times when I have had to search what some of the icons mean.
The underlined icons in this picture are not all native elements to the user. The user has not seen all of the icons before in other apps and websites they’ve used. There is no offer of clarity in proximity to the icons.
How learnable are these icons for people that post stories every once in a while?
Lack of usability by mistakenly hitting a button
There have been times when I’ve been sending a post to a friend, and including a message with the sent post. As I’m typing, I will mistakenly hit the “Send” button due to its placement.
The send button is directly above the keyboard. When you are typing (especially if you are using the swipe keyboard) it is extremely easy to mistakenly press the “Send” button. This current setup is extremely low on error prevention.
Example of mid-typing send:
Dark Features
There are some dark patterns that IG has incorporated into their app as well.
There is now a “Follow” button directly next to the profile name that is easy to press when you actually want to select the profile username:
This might not seem like a dark feature immediately, as it doesn’t necessarily generate any direct revenue for IG. But, when someone follows a new user, that user is notified, which gives them the positive affirmation they are seeking. This then will encourage them to return to the app more frequently to generate more followers. More users eventually equate to more revenue for Instagram.
And speaking of money, they’re now directly trying to make that $$$$:
Notice how the new “IG store” icon is conveniently located at the bottom taskbar between the reels icon and the profile home icon?
Luckily, by mistakenly hitting the shopping bag, you don’t accidentally buy something. IG just hopes to suck you in to start shopping.
Microphone Access
Lastly, why is it that to submit a story or post that has no sound, your microphone has to be enabled?
You don’t need microphone access to post a picture. This aligns with the narrative that your phone is listening to you, and feeds into the lack of trust that users have with the internet as a whole.
Yes, Instagram is a lot of fun, and they know they have captured such a wide audience and devoted users. They can “get away” with using not entirely intuitive icons. They know their users WANT to know how to use their credible app and will take the time to learn. They might need to change their name soon, though, as it’s not quite as instantaneous to post and scroll as it once was.
