In a race to stay relevant and remain the most popularly used social media application, various platforms have, over time, added features to mimic each other. From transient stories on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and even WhatsApp to unifying messaging platforms - we've seen countless updates. But the public sentiment certainly does not seem to favour this trend.
Many users would prefer their social media apps to maintain its own unique identity, rather than becoming imitations of each other. And if the latest Twitter trend is anything to go by, users are most certainly not a fan of the latest Instagram update. In a blog post on September 29, Instagram had announced several changes, the biggest of which was the fact that "people using the Messenger app can now reach you on Instagram without you needing to download a new app, and vice versa".
"We’re also bringing familiar features from Messenger like replying to a specific message, forwarding a message, and customizable chat colors and themes," the blog post had added.
While this was announced almost a month ago, Instagram had said that it would be rolled out to a few countries around the world and then expanded globally. Now, it would seem that with the update on October 27 (on Google Play Store) in India, netizens are having a tough time maneuvering through the new features. There is also the additional fact that the for many, the list of people they interact with on Facebook is rather different from who they follow or talk to on Instagram. Others still have expressed concern about how their privacy will be affected by the new update.
"Dear Instagram, STOP updating. Keep your own specific identity. Don't mix all features in it," urged one Twitter user.
"I don't like complications. Hence I obviously don't like the #instagramupdate for the message tab!" summed up another.
Take a look at some of the comments:
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