In part 1 of the latest Instagram updates and features you need to know, you've become acquainted with some of Instagram's new features to increase Instagram engagement, which are Instagram Remix, Instagram Avatar, Pin Post, and Instagram Dual Camera. It also provides the steps to use, create, and enable each feature.

And now, in part 2 here, we will continue with more exciting Instagram new updates and features on Instagram and also each ‘how to’ step. Without further ado, here are the latest Instagram updates and features you need to know.

Take a Break Feature

Another new feature on Instagram is Take a Break. Take a Break is a tool designed to help people aware of how they are spending their time on the social media platform. If you have been scrolling through Instagram for a certain amount of time, you will get a popup reminder to take a break.

This feature is really helpful for you who want to cut your daily screen time. You can customize your Take a Break feature to off or on every 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or 30 minutes. Once set up, the feature will alert you to suggest taking a break when you have been scrolling through the app for the period of time you have selected.

Here’s how to turn the Take a Break feature on or off:

1. Open your Instagram profile page.
2. Tap the “three lines” at the top-right corner.
3. Tap “Your Activity” then tap “Time Spent”.
4. Tap “Set Reminder to Take Breaks”.
5. Choose your preferred duration, “Every 10 Minutes”, “Every 20 Minutes”, and “Every 30 Minutes”, and then tap “Turn On”.
6. To turn it off, after step 4, tap “Turn Reminders Off” then tap “Done”.

Showcase and Mint NFT on Instagram

Instagram now allows its users to add non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to their Instagram profile. You can showcase, keep track of, and share your Digital Collectibles. If you want to mint a creator’s Digital Collectibles, you can also do it on the platform. At first, Instagram only provided this feature to a number of creators in the US to test it out. Now Instagram has rolled out Digital Collectibles to all if not more users across the globe.

 Here’s how to set up your Digital Collectibles on Instagram:

1. Tap the “three lines” or “hamburger” icon at the top-right corner of your Instagram profile page.
2. Tap the “Digital Collectibles” then tap “Connect Wallet”.
3. Tap “Get Started”.
4. Tap “Continue” then select a digital wallet that you use.
5. Tap “Continue and agree” and it will redirect you to the crypto wallet app you selected.
6. Tap “Sign” on the signature request that appears on your screen.
7. Once the wallet is connected, a pop-up will show on Instagram that said Wallet connected, and then tap “OK”.

Tap the linked wallet on the Digital collectibles page and it will show your NFTs from that wallet.

New Interface Design for Instagram Desktop

The first time the Instagram desktop was made available, its interface was not user-friendly and didn’t have much to offer. It felt clunky and looked like a bland copy version of the mobile app, which was more accessible. However, recently, Instagram brought a new update for its desktop version. The company is now introducing a refreshed design that fully utilizes the large screens and is almost equally compatible with the mobile app version.

In the older design, the options like Posts, Guides, Instagram Reels, and Tagged were hosted on top of the grid. It means, to switch to another tab, you had to scroll to the top from wherever you were. The new design solves this problem and makes it more convenient by moving these options to the side.

The new Instagram desktop lets you post photos and videos directly from your PC or laptop. The full-screen mode enables you to see Stories, pictures, videos, and Reels on your feed in full-screen, just like on the mobile app version. Another advantage that comes with the new design is that the Instagram desktop lets you download an uploaded picture or video in full high-definition format and an advertisement-free experience.

Upload Instagram Story via Desktop

Even though Instagram is mostly a mobile app, there are a lot of people that access their Instagram from their computers. Especially if you manage a business Instagram account or you need to manage a number of Instagram accounts at once. It is very helpful to be able to post directly from your computer.

If you have used Instagram desktop, you probably know that Instagram has added the ability to create and post photos and videos right from your PC. Unfortunately, the ability to post Stories from computers is not included. But, worry not, there are a couple of ways to do it. You can post Story via your desktop through a third-party analytic tool or use a little browser (Google Chrome) trick to post your Story.

Here are the steps to post your Story via desktop:

1. Open the Google Chrome browser and visit instagram.com.
2. Sign in to your Instagram account.
3. After signing in, right-click on the page and click “Inspect”.
4. A “Developer Window” for chrome will pop up.
5. Click the “Mobile” icon on the top-left corner of the “Developer Window”.
6. The desktop interface will change to a mobile interface and you can choose any mobile model.
7. If the display is too small, you can change the phone model by changing the dimension on the top or click the “Setting” icon on the top-right of the Developer Window, select devices, and choose the model you want.
8. If the “+” button doesn’t appear, reload the webpage.
9. Click the “+” icon on the top and now you are able to post your Story.

There is more to come in the next part, which is the last part of this article. Part 3 will be all about Tags and Stickers. Don’t forget to check back, and stay tuned for part 3!