The good part about having lots of Instagram followers? Lots of people hit like on your photos and comment about how cute your hair looks. The downside? The trolls can flock like crazy, and one negative comment can totally ruin your day. And sometimes that trolling can get dark, even veering into cyberbullying territory. But new changes to the app might make it a more positive experience for everyone.
Instagram has announced that it's taking major new steps to make the app a safer space, from dealing with awful comments to doing away with creepy followers on your account. Check out the three big ways Instagram is about to change, and get excited to take full control of your feed.
1. You can now like comments instead of just posts.
In the next few weeks, you'll be able to show that you like a comment on an Instagram photo or video. Just hit the heart icon next to your comment to show you enjoyed your friend's witty comment on your #ootd without having to come up with a perfect comment in response. Instagram also says that liking comments will help "encourage positivity" on the app, since nice comments are way more likely to be liked.
2. You can turn off comments on individual posts.
Want to post something personal on Instagram, but don't want to deal with a flood of comments? Now you can opt to just simply turn off comments on an individual photo or video you post on Insta. Previously this was only available for a small number of accounts, but it will be available to everyone within a few weeks. Just hit "Advanced Settings" before you post, then turn off commenting. And if you change your mind, you can always turn them back on.
3. You can ban followers on a private account.
Having a private Instagram account means you can limit who sees your posts. But if you get a bunch of followers you don't want, and then go private, you used to be out of luck unless you just flat-out blocked them. Now, you can remove followers from a private account pretty easily. Just go to your list of followers, tap the "…" menu next to a person's names, and remove them. They won't even be notified.
