Instagram just turned 10 years old and the company is celebrating the occasion with new features, primarily focused on stopping bullying on the platform. The features also include a private Stories Map in Stories Archive and custom app icons on mobile.
Anti-Bullying Features
Instagram says it has been testing a feature to automatically hide offensive comments. As a step to bring more transparency, the company will add a ‘View Hidden Comments’ option so that users can know what kind of comments are typically hidden and choose to view them.
In July last year, Instagram started using AI to warn users who make hateful comments. The company is now expanding the feature to more languages while slightly modifying the warning message. The updated warning message reminds users of the consequences of spreading hate in the platform, including the removal of the account.
Instagram notes that its features focused on anti-bullying have helped users on several occasions. According to the company, over 35 million Instagram users have used the Restrict feature to shadow ban bullies and trolls. Moreover, the company points out that more than 3.5 million users have bulk deleted comments or blocked users to reduce negative interactions.
Stories Map
Instagram has added a private Stories Map feature that shows the locations of all the stories you’ve shared over the past three years. This feature has been integrated into Stories Archive. You can also take a look at events that took place on a specific date by going through the newly-added calendar.
Custom App Icons
Lastly, the company has added new app icons on Android and iOS. As spotted last month, there are a handful of color options including orange, green, yellow, black to choose from, along with the company’s classic ones and pride-themed icons. These icons will be available through the latest Instagram app.
