Instagram was launched in 2010 and became an instant success amongst the masses. Within months Instagram saw a surge in its users and today, seven years from when it initially launched the app has hundreds of millions of users. While so many contemporaries to Instagram saw that their popularity faded with the march of time or that the number of active users on their application dwindled down to nothing, Instagram did not face any problems such as these.
One of the reasons that has long been attributed to Instagram’s success is the fact that the company is a master at innovating and bringing new changes in their application which prove to be popular amongst their user base. The changes and the updates that Instagram has made over the last 7 years is what has kept the company so popular amongst its users and has kept it from becoming unpopular.
It is no secret that whenever Instagram introduces a new feature or makes a change there is a lot of backlash but soon after the backlash comes, it dies down and the result is that people actually like the new update and do not oppose it anymore. When Instagram changed its logo, people were very upset and called the new logo very amateur and that the last logo which was the original logo was better. However, even the new logo was slowly accepted and then even appreciated by people.
This is not surprising since a company like Instagram undoubtedly does their research before making any kind of change to the application. They would be insane to not test out features in a beta version and gauging the opinions before they launched them to the public. Thus every change you see on Instagram has been tested out and the company is sure it will be welcomed.
However, one of the most controversial features Instagram added was the Instagram stories. A lot of people were angered at first because they considered this theft as Instagram had copied the feature from Snapchat. However, now the Instagram story feature is not just tolerated on the application but clearly it is also well loved since the feature is used by some 150 million people!
Instagram stories is a feature which allows users to post images or videos to their profile. These images or videos expire within 24 hours. And with the latest feature, you can save these stories to your profile indefinitely since you can archive them to your profile so your followers can come and view them at any time they want since they are in a way pinned to your profile.
However, a lot of people still do not have the hang of Instagram stories and find it hard to navigate through. They do not know how to maximize use from it and how to post and use filters on Instagram stories and much more. And if you keep reading this article you will get to know all the little known tips and tricks related to Instagram stories so you do not have to worry about what you can and cannot do. A lot of people complain about no options to go back Instagram stories however this is wrong since you can indeed go back Instagram stories and view the previous image or video posted within the same story.
Tricks for Instagram Stories
Below are some amazing tips and tricks which you can use when you are viewing Instagram stories. These tips will help you navigate through the tricky features of Instagram stories and you can make sure you are armed with sufficient knowledge when you are using Instagram stories so you do not feel lost or overwhelmed. These tricks can also serve as shortcuts to actions you want to pull off but were previously not sure of how to do. Enjoy using Instagram with these simple tips and tricks since we know these will help you out a lot and make your life on Instagram a lot easier!
-
Go Back Instagram Stories
Let us address the first complain a lot of people have with Instagram stories. This is the issue regarding how you cannot go back Instagram stories. This is not the case since going back to the previous snap in the same Instagram story is quite easy. All you need to do is tap on the left side of the screen and the previous image or video from the same story will come up. You need to be careful that you do not swipe but just do a light tap of the left side of the screen. If you position your thumb in the middle of the screen and try to tap you will not be taken to the previous image or video but most likely to the next image of video in the same Instagram story.
-
Skip to Next Image or Video in Story
An Instagram story is made up of several images or videos posted on a person’s profile. Thus sometimes you want to skip to a specific image or video since the person has posted so many items in their story it is hard for you to concentrate and you want to get to the end as soon as you can. Just keep tapping on your screen and the screen will keep on skipping to the next image or video in the story. You can do this till you get to the end or to the image or video of your choice.
-
Skip to Next Instagram Story
If you do not seek to go back Instagram story but instead want to go on to the next Instagram story then you need to swipe right on your screen and you will be able to skip the entire Instagram story you are currently viewing and go on to the next persons Instagram story.
-
Go Back to Previous Instagram Stories
If you to go back Instagram stories to the previous story posted by another user you can swipe left on your screen and you can view that story once more. It is incredibly easy to do so and causes no issues whatsoever. Whether you want to go back Instagram stories or go forward in the stories, you can do it easily without any issues.
-
Pause an Instagram Story
Sometimes people write long messages in the Instagram story and you cannot read it in the few seconds the story stays on your screen. So if you want to stay on a particular image or video from a story for a little while then all you need to do is press down on the screen and the image will be there till you remove your finger from the screen. This lets people read the message written easily without having to constantly resorting to go back Instagram stories so they can read what the image or video says.
-
Screenshots
A lot of people are wary of taking screenshots of what other people post since they are conditioned to think that these people will get the notification. This is because on Snapchat if someone takes a screenshot of something you post in your story, you get a notification but this is not the case with Instagram. You can easily take a screenshot of the story and the person will be none the wiser! This could help save time since you will not have to go back Instagram stories to look at a particular story since you can just screenshot it and see it at your leisure without worrying that the story will expire or anything of the sort.
The Fun You Can Have with Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are an amazing feature for the application and you can easily have a lot of fun with it. With the new addition of face filters which make taking selfies and making videos of your own face a lot more fun. And not to mention the new options for superzoom with your cameras which make zooming into items ten times more fun.
You can use Instagram stories for a lot of things .To advertise your own product or company, to post about something you are passionate about such as a social issue, to show people what you are up to or just to post a nice selfie of yourself. The possibilities are truly endless; you can do so much with Instagram stories, it is all just up to you!
It should be noted however, that all the tips and tricks we provide you may change over time as the application evolves and changes. How to go back Instagram stories with the steps that we outlined might not be how to do so when the application is updated and changed yet again; since we know the only constant in Instagram is the constant change.
Now that you know all these neat tricks which you can try with Instagram stories, what are you most excited to go and try on the actual app? Keep us updated with your progress.
Cybil 
Emma 
Saira