Categories: Web

Instagram continues to abandon mobile-only approach, further expands to desktop web

Instagram is continuing to abandon its mobile-only approach as the company’s co-founder, Kevin Systrom, today announced that, for the first time, users’ feeds can be viewed on the desktop web.

Since launching in October 2010 on iPhone (and later on Android), Instagram has been mobile-only, existing solely as a native app. Systrom cited this early focus as essential to the experience of “seeing and taking photos on-the-go”.

However, Instagram’s first tentative steps towards desktop and away from its mobile-first approach came last November when the photo-sharing service launched profile pages on the web.

Instagram’s drift away from mobile is hardly surprising since Facebook closed its acquisition of the company in September for $736 million. With over 100 million users, accommodating users on desktop, tablet, and non-native mobile makes Instagram “more accessible to our growing community”, as Systrom puts it.

“We believe that you should be able to access Instagram on a variety of different devices, any of which may be convenient to you at a given moment – including your desktop computer or tablet.” – Kevin Systrom, Instagram

Instagram on the web is fully responsive, so today’s feature announcement also enables Instagram to accommodate mobile users on platforms other than Android and iOS for the first time.

One feature that Instagram has restricted to mobile is the ability to upload photos as “Instagram is about producing photos on the go, in the real world, in realtime”.

Albizu Garcia

Albizu Garcia is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gain -- a marketing technology company that automates the social media and content publishing workflow for agencies and social media managers, their clients and anyone working in teams.

View Comments

Recent Posts

With surge in AI-generated code creates security concerns, DeepSources launches trio of autonomous AI agents for DevSecOps 

Autonomous, AI-powered employees are set to begin roaming corporate networks sooner than expected, marking the…

20 hours ago

As carcinogenic chemicals from cleaning products hit the headlines, Viking Pure Solutions is protecting employees from harm

Despite the ongoing fight to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics, when it comes to environmental…

20 hours ago

Muddy Waters vs. AppLovin: Why Investors Might Be the Real Target

Muddy Waters’ recent short report on AppLovin reads serious. Abuse, violations, an impending takedown. But…

2 days ago

Trump’s Tariff Policy: An Apparent Double Standard for Apple?

Do you know how I knew that Trump would be the 47th President of the…

2 days ago

These travel bloggers have the best tips on how to make the most of your trip to the UK

From Stonehenge to the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace to the Angel of North, there’s…

3 days ago

The science of what we eat: The NYU math grad bringing sustainable olive oil to your kitchen (Brains Byte Back Podcast)

When it comes to what we eat, more of us are asking the right questions:…

4 days ago