Instagram is rolling out a modest yet practical new feature that hands users greater control over what appears on their profiles. From today, you can add posts you have been tagged in directly to your main profile grid.
Although it is not a sweeping overhaul, it is the kind of change many people will find handy. Most of us have returned from a party, concert, holiday or night out with friends, scrolled through the shared album, and found that someone has already posted one of the best group photos and tagged us in it. You could, of course, upload the same image yourself, but that can feel awkward. Instagram now offers a tidier solution.
How the tagged posts feature works
You can add a tagged post to your grid in several ways: from the direct message notification you receive when you are tagged, from the post itself, or through your Tagged tab. If you later change your mind, the post can be removed from your profile with ease.
The original post remains exactly where it is. Adding it to your grid does not delete or duplicate the original, and you can remove it from your profile at any time without removing it from your Tagged tab.
Uses for creators and brands
Instagram says the feature could prove useful for creator collaborations, giving creators another way to showcase posts they have been tagged in without republishing the same content or relying on the “Invite collaborators” option. It could also help with brand campaigns featuring several creators who wish to highlight a shared piece of content on their individual profiles.
The update forms part of a wider effort by Instagram to give users more say over how their profiles look. In June, the platform introduced the “Reorder your grid” feature, allowing users to rearrange the content on their main profile grid.
Instagram has also been adding new tools to make creating and managing content simpler. A recent addition is “First Draft”, an editing feature that automatically trims selected video clips and removes pauses, pulling together the best moments into an initial cut.
There is also the newly launched “Replace Audio” tool, which lets users update the music on an existing post whenever they choose.
