YES 01 instagram

Instagram is a social media platform owned by Meta (the same company that owns Facebook and WhatsApp) that focuses almost entirely on sharing photos and videos.

In 2026, it has evolved into an AI-powered “discovery engine,” meaning the app uses advanced technology to show you content it thinks you’ll love, even from people you don’t follow yet.

📸 The 3 Main Ways to Share Content
Instagram isn’t just one feed; it’s broken into three distinct sections:

Feed Posts: These are the permanent photos or videos that live on your profile grid. In 2026, these are often Carousels (swiping through multiple photos) or high-quality vertical images.

Stories: These are casual photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours. They appear in circles at the top of your app and are great for “behind-the-scenes” or daily updates.

Reels: These are short, entertaining vertical videos (up to 3 minutes, or even 20 minutes for some accounts) set to music or audio. This is currently the most popular part of Instagram.

🚀 How to Get Started (Step-by-Step)
1. Set Up Your Profile
Download & Sign Up: Get the app from the App Store or Google Play. You can sign up with an email or link it to your Facebook account.

Pick a Handle: This is your username (e.g., @YourName).

Write a Bio: You have 150 characters to tell people who you are.

Set Privacy: Go to Settings > Privacy. Choose Private if you only want friends to see your posts, or Public if you want to grow an audience.

2. Find People to Follow
Tap the Magnifying Glass (Explore) icon at the bottom. You can search for friends, celebrities, or interests like #cooking or #travel. When you follow someone, their posts will show up in your Home feed.

3. Make Your First Post
Tap the [+] icon (usually at the bottom center or top right).

Select Post, Story, or Reel.

Edit: Use Instagram’s built-in filters or the new “Edits” tool to brighten your photo or trim your video.

Caption & Share: Write a description, add a few hashtags (like #nature), and hit Share.

🔥 New for 2026: Features to Know

Your Algorithm: You can now manually “tune” your feed by telling Instagram which topics (like “Gaming” or “Fashion”) you want to see more of in your Reels.

AI Restyle: You can use AI to completely change the look of a photo in your Stories just by typing a prompt (e.g., “Make this look like a painting”).

Google Search: Your public Instagram posts can now be found through Google searches, making it easier for people to find your content outside the app.