14 DAY TRIAL // Instagram has always been a mobile-centric company. Sure, you can view photos on the web, but only if you know the direct link and the only way to interact with the service is via the mobile apps. Yet, not everyone has the apps installed even though they're using a phone.
Which is where the mobile photo pages come in and, wouldn't you know it, they've just gotten a revamp. They're inspired by the desktop web pages, adapted for the small screens of course.
"Our new mobile photo pages have a look and feel consistent with the web-based photo pages and make it easier for your friends to interact with your photos when viewing them outside of Instagram on their mobile device," Instagram explained.
The mobile photo pages are now more interactive, if you're logged into your account, you can comment or like the photos in the browser.
And, if you want to do more, the prominent "Open in App" button should come in handy, again provided that you have the app installed. But if you have an account, chances are you're going to have the app too.
"When logged in, your friends can like and comment on your photos directly from their mobile web browser. They can also go directly from the mobile photo page into Instagram," Instagram wrote.
"Clicking on the Open in App button will automatically launch the Instagram app with the photo loaded into the main view. From there, users can navigate into your profile page and explore the rest of your photo feed," it said.
The app is still the only way to explore more photos and find people to follow. Even though the web features are becoming more powerful, the app is going to remain the center of the Instagram experience for the foreseeable future.