14 DAY TRIAL // Instagram has fixed a new bug introduced in its Android app after the company added support for accessing multiple accounts from the same device, Android Central reports.
Support for shared accounts (multi-accounts or multi-profiles) had been one of the most requested features in Instagram for many years. The company answered its users at the start of last week, when it rolled out a new version of its mobile application that allowed users to log into two different accounts at the same time from one device.
The editors in charge of Android Central, a popular blog for Android news and reviews, have quickly discovered a flaw in the app's behavior, revolving around this new shared-account feature.
Needing to manage both their personal accounts and their work profile, many editors added both accounts on their devices. Soon after, they found out that they were receiving notifications meant for other colleagues, who also added the accounts on their phones.
The notifications didn't always arrive to the same people, weren't always consistent, but revealed some information about private conversations their colleagues may be having, new friendships, or comments on their photos.
Tapping on the notifications redirected users only to public photos, with the app working correctly and keeping private conversations only between the users that started them.
The issue was brought to Instagram's attention, who fixed the problem within days and released an updated version of their app. It's likely that this bug affected a very small number of the company's users, and Instagram's quick response prevented any damaging leaks of private information.