Instagram's new updates for in-app shopping and time spent

Instagram has announced three new ways to discover new products, shop from your favorite brands and keep track of all your shopping inspiration in one place on Instagram.

With holidays just around the corner, Instagram's new update is making it easier than ever to turn to the app for all of your holiday shopping needs. In September, the popular photo-sharing app expanded Shopping on Instagram with the introduction of product stickers in Stories, so you can easily learn more when you discover a product you love. It also announced a shopping channel in Explore, a dedicated space for you to shop from the brands you follow as well as brands you have yet to discover.

Save to your new Shopping collection:

Now when you come across a must-have item, save it to your Shopping collection to revisit it later. When you tap a product tag in Stories or Feed, tap the Save icon in the bottom right corner to save it to your Shopping collection. Just like existing collections, you can access your Shopping collection from your profile. It’s an easy way to keep your wish list up-to-date and store creative gift ideas for the holidays.

Shop on business profiles:

Instagram is also testing a redesign of the Shop tab on business profiles so you can quickly view all the products featured in their shopping posts. When you visit a business profile, tap on the ‘Shop’ button to see their products, such as the item name, price, and the post featuring the item. It’s a great way to browse all the products from a brand you love on Instagram, in one place.

Also Read: Instagram tests targeted advertising on stories with ‘Promote’

Shopping in Feed videos: 

You can now shop in videos from your favorite brands. When you see a video in Feed from a brand you follow, tap the shopping icon in the bottom left corner to reveal the featured products and learn more about them.

These updates unlock new ways to discover and connect with the brands and products that inspire you.

In yet another update, Instagram has finally rolled out new 'Your activity' dashboard which will notify you how much time you spend on the app. In August, Facebook and Instagram had announced that they are experimenting with this feature where you can get know your time spent on the photo-sharing app. 

Steps to follow:

1. Go to your Instagram profile page and tap the hamburger icon.

2. Click on the dashboard that shows your average time spent on the app.

3. You can click on any bar to see your time spent during the day or that particular week. 

Additionally, according to an IndiaToday's report, you can also set daily reminders for yourself which will alert you when you've reached that amount of time for the day.