16 ms·

Instagram for Android — Available Now.

190 points by hornokplease 15y ago

starwed 15y ago
Heh, a few days ago I signed up to be updated on when this was available, but apparently reading hacker news is more effective... It didn't show up in the Play store when I searched on my phone, but installing directly from the play web site worked.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- rradu 15y ago
  Same here. Was on my phone, but it wouldn't show up in Play Store app search, only on the web interface. Since there's no mobile web version of the Play Store, I had to navigate the desktop version using my mobile device. Really poor downloading experience overall--took 10 minutes to get an app which I don't think is nearly as good as the iOS version. It's missing blur functionality, the filters don't seem to be as effective, and there are WAY too many unlabeled icons which you have to tap to figure out what they do.
  - fpgeek 15y ago
    Here's a tip: Instead of using the Play Store app search search for the following: <thing you want to search for> site:play.google.com Not only are you much more likely to get what you're looking for, but the result links you get back will give you the option of opening the link in the Play Store [1] (through the magic of Intents), so you won't have lost anything in terms of integration. I really, really, really don't understand why someone at Google hasn't chucked the default search in favor of a site search of play.google.com (or, back in the day, market.google.com). I used to be befuddled as to how Google, of all companies, couldn't implement a decent search for their app store. Now I'm amazed because they've also implemented a good one and just aren't using it! [1] Presuming you're using an Intent-aware browser (e.g. Browser [best bet], Chrome, Dolphin not Firefox or Opera) and presuming you haven't picked a default for the browsing Intent. Though if either of those apply to you, you probably know how to work around it.
arien 15y ago
I have never used Instagram. Could anyone please explain/justify the 13Mb size of the App? I'm just wondering, because the biggest App I have on my phone is Google Maps, which takes around 12Mb. The next one takes 6Mb at most. I know games heavy on graphics might take more, but a how does a photo App take so much? Just curious.
- cleverjake 15y ago
  I would assume that is mostly the filters. A few weeks ago someone posted the filters on github, and there were some really complex opengl filters in there.
- starwed 15y ago
  The two other similar photo apps I tried before instagram was available take ~8Mb each. Maybe it takes a lot of data to specify the filters? They might also rely heavily on a non-java codebase, in which case they can't just use the built in libraries that most android apps can rely on. Both Chrome and Firefox's mobile versions use a lot of space too. (Firefox is down to 20MB, but chrome is 50.) And wow, apparently Google+ takes 30MB! Not sure what that app does that makes it larger than firefox...
  - daeken 15y ago
    The filters are just simple image transforms. Generally they're just specified as GL shaders, which means that even in the largest case, you're talking about a kilobyte or two. Considering that they're compressed (as all APKs are), you can divide that by half, if not more.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
  - arien 15y ago
    Google+ is a good example of something that is plain wrong in my opinion. I uninstalled it months ago, so I can't tell if it has great improvements. But from what I recall, it can be easily compared to... the Facebook app, for example. What is the purpose of those 20-ish Mb of difference between the two? You would think Google would be making great and efficient apps with their own platform.
canthonytucci 15y ago
One more checked off my list! Just gave it a try and it works as smoothly and plesantly as on my iPhone. I have to wonder why they still don't have pull to refresh though.
- SoftwarePatent 15y ago
  Possibly because Twitter has a patent on "pull to refresh" http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/27/pull-to-refresh-the-patent/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/27/pull-to-refresh-the-patent/
  - drewblaisdell 15y ago
    That is merely a patent application, not a patent. Also, an example of misleading tech journalism that dcurtis didn't change on his website even after multiple people pointed this out. I guess the hypothetical reality is more interesting than real life.
    - fpgeek 15y ago
      Does the distinction matter to most software developers? From my perspective, the legal risk is almost identical. Something will most likely make its way through the patent office. At that point you can be sued and (unless you're independently wealthy and have plenty of free time or you have an employer who will take care of your legal defense) the quality of the patent doesn't matter.
- Mavrik 15y ago
  Android Design guidelines actively discurage this pattern - it supposedly too "iOSish" and protected by patterns.
  - fudged 15y ago
    *patents
    - 15y ago
lleims 15y ago
Big question now: how long it will take Instagram to double its user base? Considering how many people were expecting this launch I'm sure they will become one of the most popular apps on Google Play pretty soon.
Urgo 15y ago
Instagram. Ruining perfectly good pictures since 2011.. or whenever they started. No offense to the company but I really hate this trend of filtered pictures. Am I the only one who prefers actual pictures rather then low quality "old looking" ones? I'm all for sharing pictures easily but keep them real!
- lleims 15y ago
  I guess it really depends on what filters you apply to your photos and how to apply them. I agree that some people don't know when to stop or how to identify photos that might look better without filters, but you're gonna find that type of users everywhere.
- funkah 15y ago
  Taking a photo is a creative endeavor, not necessarily an effort to flawlessly recreate how something actually appears to the human eye. Engineers frequently do not get this.
  - tsunamifury 15y ago
    Really? Because it seems to me that a lot of engineers at instagram figured out that using the same set of preprogrammed filters over and over again allows users to feel like they are being creative.
    - freehunter 15y ago
      And is there anything wrong with people feeling like they are creative? Same argument applies to Guitar Hero. People may make the argument that they're not playing guitar and therefore should stop playing Guitar Hero, but many people find it fun. You can disagree with them, but that doesn't make it less fun.
      - davidw 15y ago
        > And is there anything wrong with people feeling like they are creative? Sometimes they take pictures of things I'm interested in or curious about, and the picture is obviously mangled compared to the original, and you can't make out as much detail as you'd like. Mangled in exactly the same way that thousands of other people mangle their photos: the first few times I saw it, I thought it was clever/cute, but then it got old, and now I loathe it.
funkah 15y ago
Now it will REALLY take off!
richurd 15y ago
Android doesn`t respect your freedom.
nollidge 15y ago
Searching for "Instagram" in the Play store only brings up clones of the app. I would guess the search algorithm takes total downloads (which will be higher for existing apps, for now) into account over matching the app name.
- rrbrambley 15y ago
  Sadly, this is what it always does when I search for apps that were just released. I wish they'd fix this.
- pook1e 15y ago
  I'm fairly certain it's just not indexed yet. Give it some time.
  - nollidge 15y ago
    It shows up in search now, but it's about the 20th result (may have been true earlier as well, I didn't try scrolling far). But even if it wasn't indexed immediately (which is still ridiculous - it's all their system), they're still not taking app name or current trends into search results.
    - pook1e 15y ago
      I certainly won't disagree with you there. I scrolled quite deeply through the list earlier and didn't see it, which is why I assumed it wasn't indexed yet. The searching could definitely use some tweaking to weigh the name / trend more heavily.
- mikeklaas 15y ago
  We launched an android version of our app (Zite) on Thursday. For 1.5 days, users were unable to find us with a search for "zite" because google was silently correctly to "site". I estimate we lost between 70-90% of potential downloads during that timeframe.
mattberg 15y ago
Curious about their decision to go with custom tabs at the bottom of the screen. Not being a full-time Android user, I always thought tabs were displayed across the top. Are more and more Android apps using tabs at the bottom?
- RobAtticus 15y ago
  I don't personally use tabs at the bottom in my apps, nor do I see it as a prevailing trend in apps. However, I can see why you'd want tabs on the bottom: it's closer to your thumb if you're holding the phone one-handed. This makes it easier to use the tabs, since you don't have to reach across the screen.
  - veeti 15y ago
    A new design pattern in Android 4.0 (and available via Google's compatibility library down to 1.6) is that you're supposed to be able to swipe between tabs, so in theory there is no advantage to having them at the bottom. (Tabs in Android have always been at the top.)
- bookwormAT 15y ago
  No, it is not common. It's even an antipattern on Google's Android design guidelines: http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/pure-android.html http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/pure-android.ht...
ing33k 15y ago
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram....
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
- TwistedWeasel 15y ago
  permission to read doesn't always imply they are uploading. If it's behaving the same as the iOS version then it's going to scan your contacts for friends who are also Instagram members
  - bookwormAT 15y ago
    yes, and it's even asking the user for permission again when he chooses that feature in the UI.
kenjackson 15y ago
I still don't get the popularity of instagram. Is it the filters or sharing? There are tons of apps that let me apply a filter and instantly share to FB. As someone who doesn't use instagram have I missed something?
- j2labs 15y ago
  Visual twitter, beautifully done. That's all, but I love it.
- chrischen 15y ago
  I wouldn't underestimate the power of hype at this point either. That is, people using it simply because others are and they want to be just as hip, or people like you and me trying it to see what the fuss is about and perhaps staying because it's good enough and we're already there.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- blindhippo 15y ago
  Never mind, misread the title... Instagram, not Instapaper (doh). My take on Instagram: it's a photo-sharing service that allows you to hipsterize your photos to make you seem super cool. Beyond that, you got me. It was one of the first kids on the block for sharing photos from a mobile device so that probably helps.
- funkah 15y ago
  Instagram doesn't use Facebook, and is instead its own network.
  - kenjackson 15y ago
    Didn't know that. Interesting. So are you generally sharing with friends or strangers? I've never had anyone ask me to join instageam to see a picture, which is why I ask.
    - 15y ago
varunsaini 15y ago
Download are really going to high, but time will tell how people are going to use it...I am definitely going to download and try it on my android phone.
eLobato 15y ago
Honestly I was expecting this so badly... and got terribly disappointed. Will stick to Picplz.
bishnu 15y ago
Really happy to see this since I'm making the switch from iOS and this is the one thing that either didn't exist on Android or have a similar analog.
- bookwormAT 15y ago
  Isn't Lightbox doing more or less the same thing as Instagram on Android? And Lightbox has some nice features, like explorer views for pictures from your facebook and twitter streams. The Lightbox also adapts much better (e.g. to larger screens) than instagram so far. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lightbox.android.photos https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lightbox.a...
  - bishnu 15y ago
    There are lots of Instagram clones out there but choosing one of those means losing Instagram's social network, which (as a moderate user of Instagram) I wasn't so hot on doing.
    - oflannabhra 15y ago
      Instagram opened up its API recently to Hipstamatic [1] (which I think predated Instagram, not sure though). Interesting to see Instagram realize that their value is in their userbase and not in their specific filters. I don't know if they have plans to become a platform or not, but with millions of users (and with this Android release, millions more coming), they've definitely got that as an option. [1] - http://www.fastcompany.com/1824797/exclusive-hipstamatic-instagram-partnership-api-import-photos-social-network-kevin-systrom http://www.fastcompany.com/1824797/exclusive-hipstamatic-ins...
metabrew 15y ago
Signed up; around 40% of pictures in my feed are photos of cups of coffee. Is this normal?
- noinput 15y ago
  Only if 1/2 of them have tilt-shift applied.
  - sp332 15y ago
    The Android version doesn't have tilt-shift :(
- adw 15y ago
  It's the Food Channel for geeks, seriously.
- pelemele 15y ago
  Yes. The same here ;-)
- yo-mf 15y ago
  Sounds like there are a lot of closers out there ;)
- starwed 15y ago
  I downloaded it this morning in a coffee shop and the first picture I took was of a cappuccino cup. I could see that being a common reaction! It's that or a computer screen.
  - stevenspasbo 15y ago
    hah, I just installed it, and my first picture was of my macbook
- burningion 15y ago
  70% of mine are pictures of dogs and cats. Yes, it's normal.
tuananh 15y ago
Blindly porting iOS app to android app without adopting Android UI/UX. Just like what Readability did.
- metageek 15y ago
  They're not even using the Android sharing system. The only way to share from the Instagram app is to upload to Instagram, and optionally tell it to forward the photo to one or more of the sites they support (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr). If you want real Android sharing, you have to switch to the Gallery and share from there.
  - andrewpi 15y ago
    It's very annoying: I kept looking for the Android 'Share' button and eventually realized that it just didn't exist on Instagram.
- fpgeek 15y ago
  To be fair, Readability is doing a good job of responding to feedback from Android users. There are still more than a few issues (e.g. better control of background processing), but they did quickly turn around support for Share Intents (first out and then in) so I'd say they're moving in the right direction.
- unicornporn 15y ago
  From what I understand, they rewrote it from scratch.
  - tuananh 15y ago
    They didn't adapt Android user interface guidelines. Example, menu and search buttons are useless; not using share intents, etc..
xelipe 15y ago
Instagram = filters + social. Istagram doesn't have the best platform for filters or social, but is a case where the sum is greater than its parts. For filters, I prefer Camera+ and for this type of sharing I like Tumblr. If only Tumblr had a photo filter app.
- iamdave 15y ago
  "If only Tumblr had a photo filter app." scribbles this down
  - there 15y ago
    Instagram has the ability to automatically share on Tumblr, so I'm guessing most users that would want to do that already do.
zalew 15y ago
> This app is incompatible with your HTC Wildfire. Not that I even wanted to use it, but other photo making, photo editing, photo filtering and photo sharing apps work on my modest little smartphone. F.ex. Flickr, even the mobile Photoshop.
- freehunter 15y ago
  Such is the difficulty in targeting a non-standardized system. Developers have a hard time making apps for platforms that vary wildly. It's a lot more cost effective to hit the big, easy targets on Android then focus your effort on iOS. Single-platform, more purchases, and less development work.
  - zalew 15y ago
    Boo hoo, quit dropping those cliches in here. From what I see, Instagram is one of the few for whom it was too hard (can't recall what was the last time an app didn't work for me). "Requires Android: 2.2 and up" so it's either they excluded lower resolutions or it requires too much RAM for my device to handle or sth, neither of which is a system problem as apps of similar and bigger photo functionality work just fine and smooth.
    - freehunter 15y ago
      "Requires Android: 2.2 and up" so it's either they excluded lower resolutions or it requires too much RAM for my device to handle Note that I didn't say developers couldn't handle it, I said it's not always cost efficient to do so. If someone is still on Android <2.2 or if their device doesn't have enough memory, that's an Android issue. Android exclusively is the only platform to have devices with wildly varying system versions, RAM, and resolution. I don't see anything in your post that even begins to make an argument against that. On the other hand, I've seen at least one post of a developer making a high profile exit from the Android community because of the differences. It's not that Android is hard, it's that is harder, and for less return. Most mobile developers can't afford to buy every system to test on, and can't afford lengthy development and support cycles.
dabent 15y ago
Link as it won't isn't showing up in the Play store search just yet: http://instagram.com/android/ http://instagram.com/android/
jasonhitchcock 15y ago
Instagram is the most overrated app of the year.
perlpimp 15y ago
In Russia it isn't available, at least in search results. Whats up with that.
- pook1e 15y ago
  Same thing in the US. It probably hasn't been indexed yet, but you can access the link directly: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram....
drivebyacct2 15y ago
For those confused about the confused, if you've not used Android, it's trivial to share to any capable app via the default Camera/Gallery. It's very fast for me to snap a photo and share it over FB/Twitter, so unless you're into "hipster filters", Instagram doesn't really add a lot of value to the experience. That, and I don't know anyone that uses it. I'm surrounded by iPhone users in the Midwest but I don't know a one of them that have used Instagram, most don't know what it is.
- vibrunazo 15y ago
  I don't use iOS, so I'm not familiar with its sharing capabilities. Does Instagram solves any problem with the sharing there?
  - RKearney 15y ago
    No. Either way you're going to have to launch an app in iOS to share a message to Facebook. You can tweet pictures straight from the photo gallery, but if you want to post to Facebook then you have to launch the Facebook app and upload the picture from there. Instagram doesn't really solve any issues because now you're just launching another application instead of Facebook.
    - fpgeek 15y ago
      I thought the initial problem Instagram solved (before its own network became popular) was that you could launch one application are share multiple places (and I suppose eliminating another app from the flow with filters). However, since I'm an Android user I could easily mistaken about this.
Prophasi 15y ago
Just look at that obnoxious period hanging out there slyly at the end of the non-sentence subject. It's full of "just a period here, not an exclamation point, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna be pretty ebullient anyway" faux-understatement. None of their other post titles end in periods. So annoying, riiight? Guys...?
andersh 15y ago
The app doesn't appear if you search for instagram on the android market. Found it by googling and installing from the Play website, which is horrible to use on a phone. Rubbish, but not at all surprising to an android user. Oh - download failed.
oijaf888 15y ago
Why does it require access to my contacts?
- skeletonjelly 15y ago
  To search for friends. You still have to trigger this step manually and it lets you know that you're about to send Instagram your contacts.
codenerdz 15y ago
A hint to those not finding the app in Android Play store: Navigate to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.... from your Android's phone browser and install from there. I simply did google search for 'google play instagram' and and navigated to the first link.
nextparadigms 15y ago
It still looks more like an iOS app than an Android one. That is unfortunate. Both Android and iOS have pretty much the same userbase right now, and it deserves the respect as a platform. You wouldn't expect to see a Mac-style app on Windows, or a Windows-style app on Mac, and that's with a much larger difference in userbase. Even Linux apps get their own style.
thabest 15y ago
I cant get instagram on my htc wildfire and it pissed me off!
laconian 15y ago
The reaction from some iPhone users is rich. http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-disgusted-by-android-instagram http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-disgust...
- tatsuke95 15y ago
  Well, my opinion of the average person just got a lot worse.
  - tapsboy 15y ago
    Also, they think that if Android users follow them, they will start receiving their instagram shots in their feed
- tferris 15y ago
  That's a marvelous thread showing the iPhone's #1 buying reason for the masses: it's just a status symbol Instagram was more than a photo sharing app it was the largest iPhone users only social network.
- antihero 15y ago
  Christ, that is a worrying level of brand worship and commodity fetishism.
- megablast 15y ago
  These are most likely kids.
michaelmior 15y ago
One thing that surprised me about this app is the completely blank screen I was greeted with after installing. No CTA, no idea really what to do next. Of course I can play around with the app and figure it out, but it seems like a huge oversight not to help me along.
daimyoyo 15y ago
I'm so glad this app is finally available for Android. I sold my iPhone 4 last August and I've missed this app so much. I also miss Path, but it's not currently compatible with my Samsung Replenish. Oh well. If you don't have this app yet, I highly recommend it.
EnderMB 15y ago
I'm disappointed that Android users have flocked over to Instagram considering they've been running on the iPhone happily for a long time now without any real wish to ever bring their service to Android. There are many similar apps already on Android and considering the Android community I would have imagined them to not back Instagram's move out of principle. Personally, I wouldn't ever use the product, but I'm glad to see that they've finally brought it to the Android platform after so long.
- rbarooah 15y ago
  Android is the world's most popular smartphone OS. Most users use it because it is the OS that powers the phone that they thought best fit their needs when they bought it, not because they have any special loyalty to a 'community'. Why wouldn't they flock to a popular service that lots of people say is fun?
NoBorders 15y ago
Instagram became popular simply because, when it was introduced to the iPhone there was no other app that could match its ability. Unlike the iPhone, the android has excellent photography tools. Instagram is just an addition not a replacement.
king-coconut 15y ago
I heard the Instagram hype all over internets and tried the software, but deleted it right away when I saw it required an account. I can see why they are doing this, but from my perspective it's just greedy. No need to integrate everything, I just want to take some pictures not register to a service. Soon we will have calculator apps that force you to make super-calc-account where you can share your calculations with your friends...
- rbarooah 15y ago
  Instagram is a photo sharing social network. How would you expect it to work without creating an account?
yaix 15y ago
Why does Instagram need access to my phone's address book? Will it steal that data too, or ask me before copying anything to their servers? Just want to know before install. I don't want to share photos with /everybody/ in my address book.
- sp332 15y ago
  It does ask first, I checked. Plus I'm pretty sure it looks for people for you to follow, not send pics to.

190 points by hornokplease 15y ago

Heh, a few days ago I signed up to be updated on when this was available, but apparently reading hacker news is more effective... It didn't show up in the Play store when I searched on my phone, but installing directly from the play web site worked.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
rradu 15y ago
Same here. Was on my phone, but it wouldn't show up in Play Store app search, only on the web interface. Since there's no mobile web version of the Play Store, I had to navigate the desktop version using my mobile device. Really poor downloading experience overall--took 10 minutes to get an app which I don't think is nearly as good as the iOS version. It's missing blur functionality, the filters don't seem to be as effective, and there are WAY too many unlabeled icons which you have to tap to figure out what they do.
- fpgeek 15y ago
  Here's a tip: Instead of using the Play Store app search search for the following: <thing you want to search for> site:play.google.com Not only are you much more likely to get what you're looking for, but the result links you get back will give you the option of opening the link in the Play Store [1] (through the magic of Intents), so you won't have lost anything in terms of integration. I really, really, really don't understand why someone at Google hasn't chucked the default search in favor of a site search of play.google.com (or, back in the day, market.google.com). I used to be befuddled as to how Google, of all companies, couldn't implement a decent search for their app store. Now I'm amazed because they've also implemented a good one and just aren't using it! [1] Presuming you're using an Intent-aware browser (e.g. Browser [best bet], Chrome, Dolphin not Firefox or Opera) and presuming you haven't picked a default for the browsing Intent. Though if either of those apply to you, you probably know how to work around it.

arien 15y ago

I have never used Instagram. Could anyone please explain/justify the 13Mb size of the App? I'm just wondering, because the biggest App I have on my phone is Google Maps, which takes around 12Mb. The next one takes 6Mb at most. I know games heavy on graphics might take more, but a how does a photo App take so much? Just curious.

cleverjake 15y ago
I would assume that is mostly the filters. A few weeks ago someone posted the filters on github, and there were some really complex opengl filters in there.
starwed 15y ago
The two other similar photo apps I tried before instagram was available take ~8Mb each. Maybe it takes a lot of data to specify the filters? They might also rely heavily on a non-java codebase, in which case they can't just use the built in libraries that most android apps can rely on. Both Chrome and Firefox's mobile versions use a lot of space too. (Firefox is down to 20MB, but chrome is 50.) And wow, apparently Google+ takes 30MB! Not sure what that app does that makes it larger than firefox...
- daeken 15y ago
  The filters are just simple image transforms. Generally they're just specified as GL shaders, which means that even in the largest case, you're talking about a kilobyte or two. Considering that they're compressed (as all APKs are), you can divide that by half, if not more.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
- arien 15y ago
  Google+ is a good example of something that is plain wrong in my opinion. I uninstalled it months ago, so I can't tell if it has great improvements. But from what I recall, it can be easily compared to... the Facebook app, for example. What is the purpose of those 20-ish Mb of difference between the two? You would think Google would be making great and efficient apps with their own platform.

canthonytucci 15y ago

One more checked off my list! Just gave it a try and it works as smoothly and plesantly as on my iPhone. I have to wonder why they still don't have pull to refresh though.

SoftwarePatent 15y ago
Possibly because Twitter has a patent on "pull to refresh" http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/27/pull-to-refresh-the-patent/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/27/pull-to-refresh-the-patent/
- drewblaisdell 15y ago
  That is merely a patent application, not a patent. Also, an example of misleading tech journalism that dcurtis didn't change on his website even after multiple people pointed this out. I guess the hypothetical reality is more interesting than real life.
  - fpgeek 15y ago
    Does the distinction matter to most software developers? From my perspective, the legal risk is almost identical. Something will most likely make its way through the patent office. At that point you can be sued and (unless you're independently wealthy and have plenty of free time or you have an employer who will take care of your legal defense) the quality of the patent doesn't matter.
Mavrik 15y ago
Android Design guidelines actively discurage this pattern - it supposedly too "iOSish" and protected by patterns.
- fudged 15y ago
  *patents
  - 15y ago

lleims 15y ago

Big question now: how long it will take Instagram to double its user base? Considering how many people were expecting this launch I'm sure they will become one of the most popular apps on Google Play pretty soon.

Urgo 15y ago

Instagram. Ruining perfectly good pictures since 2011.. or whenever they started. No offense to the company but I really hate this trend of filtered pictures. Am I the only one who prefers actual pictures rather then low quality "old looking" ones? I'm all for sharing pictures easily but keep them real!

lleims 15y ago
I guess it really depends on what filters you apply to your photos and how to apply them. I agree that some people don't know when to stop or how to identify photos that might look better without filters, but you're gonna find that type of users everywhere.
funkah 15y ago
Taking a photo is a creative endeavor, not necessarily an effort to flawlessly recreate how something actually appears to the human eye. Engineers frequently do not get this.
- tsunamifury 15y ago
  Really? Because it seems to me that a lot of engineers at instagram figured out that using the same set of preprogrammed filters over and over again allows users to feel like they are being creative.
  - freehunter 15y ago
    And is there anything wrong with people feeling like they are creative? Same argument applies to Guitar Hero. People may make the argument that they're not playing guitar and therefore should stop playing Guitar Hero, but many people find it fun. You can disagree with them, but that doesn't make it less fun.
    - davidw 15y ago
      > And is there anything wrong with people feeling like they are creative? Sometimes they take pictures of things I'm interested in or curious about, and the picture is obviously mangled compared to the original, and you can't make out as much detail as you'd like. Mangled in exactly the same way that thousands of other people mangle their photos: the first few times I saw it, I thought it was clever/cute, but then it got old, and now I loathe it.

funkah 15y ago

Now it will REALLY take off!

richurd 15y ago

Android doesn`t respect your freedom.

nollidge 15y ago

Searching for "Instagram" in the Play store only brings up clones of the app. I would guess the search algorithm takes total downloads (which will be higher for existing apps, for now) into account over matching the app name.

rrbrambley 15y ago
Sadly, this is what it always does when I search for apps that were just released. I wish they'd fix this.
pook1e 15y ago
I'm fairly certain it's just not indexed yet. Give it some time.
- nollidge 15y ago
  It shows up in search now, but it's about the 20th result (may have been true earlier as well, I didn't try scrolling far). But even if it wasn't indexed immediately (which is still ridiculous - it's all their system), they're still not taking app name or current trends into search results.
  - pook1e 15y ago
    I certainly won't disagree with you there. I scrolled quite deeply through the list earlier and didn't see it, which is why I assumed it wasn't indexed yet. The searching could definitely use some tweaking to weigh the name / trend more heavily.
mikeklaas 15y ago
We launched an android version of our app (Zite) on Thursday. For 1.5 days, users were unable to find us with a search for "zite" because google was silently correctly to "site". I estimate we lost between 70-90% of potential downloads during that timeframe.

mattberg 15y ago

Curious about their decision to go with custom tabs at the bottom of the screen. Not being a full-time Android user, I always thought tabs were displayed across the top. Are more and more Android apps using tabs at the bottom?

RobAtticus 15y ago
I don't personally use tabs at the bottom in my apps, nor do I see it as a prevailing trend in apps. However, I can see why you'd want tabs on the bottom: it's closer to your thumb if you're holding the phone one-handed. This makes it easier to use the tabs, since you don't have to reach across the screen.
- veeti 15y ago
  A new design pattern in Android 4.0 (and available via Google's compatibility library down to 1.6) is that you're supposed to be able to swipe between tabs, so in theory there is no advantage to having them at the bottom. (Tabs in Android have always been at the top.)
bookwormAT 15y ago
No, it is not common. It's even an antipattern on Google's Android design guidelines: http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/pure-android.html http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/pure-android.ht...

ing33k 15y ago

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram....

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TwistedWeasel 15y ago
permission to read doesn't always imply they are uploading. If it's behaving the same as the iOS version then it's going to scan your contacts for friends who are also Instagram members
- bookwormAT 15y ago
  yes, and it's even asking the user for permission again when he chooses that feature in the UI.

kenjackson 15y ago

I still don't get the popularity of instagram. Is it the filters or sharing? There are tons of apps that let me apply a filter and instantly share to FB. As someone who doesn't use instagram have I missed something?

j2labs 15y ago
Visual twitter, beautifully done. That's all, but I love it.
chrischen 15y ago
I wouldn't underestimate the power of hype at this point either. That is, people using it simply because others are and they want to be just as hip, or people like you and me trying it to see what the fuss is about and perhaps staying because it's good enough and we're already there.
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blindhippo 15y ago
Never mind, misread the title... Instagram, not Instapaper (doh). My take on Instagram: it's a photo-sharing service that allows you to hipsterize your photos to make you seem super cool. Beyond that, you got me. It was one of the first kids on the block for sharing photos from a mobile device so that probably helps.
funkah 15y ago
Instagram doesn't use Facebook, and is instead its own network.
- kenjackson 15y ago
  Didn't know that. Interesting. So are you generally sharing with friends or strangers? I've never had anyone ask me to join instageam to see a picture, which is why I ask.
  - 15y ago

varunsaini 15y ago

Download are really going to high, but time will tell how people are going to use it...I am definitely going to download and try it on my android phone.

eLobato 15y ago

Honestly I was expecting this so badly... and got terribly disappointed. Will stick to Picplz.

bishnu 15y ago

Really happy to see this since I'm making the switch from iOS and this is the one thing that either didn't exist on Android or have a similar analog.

bookwormAT 15y ago
Isn't Lightbox doing more or less the same thing as Instagram on Android? And Lightbox has some nice features, like explorer views for pictures from your facebook and twitter streams. The Lightbox also adapts much better (e.g. to larger screens) than instagram so far. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lightbox.android.photos https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lightbox.a...
- bishnu 15y ago
  There are lots of Instagram clones out there but choosing one of those means losing Instagram's social network, which (as a moderate user of Instagram) I wasn't so hot on doing.
  - oflannabhra 15y ago
    Instagram opened up its API recently to Hipstamatic [1] (which I think predated Instagram, not sure though). Interesting to see Instagram realize that their value is in their userbase and not in their specific filters. I don't know if they have plans to become a platform or not, but with millions of users (and with this Android release, millions more coming), they've definitely got that as an option. [1] - http://www.fastcompany.com/1824797/exclusive-hipstamatic-instagram-partnership-api-import-photos-social-network-kevin-systrom http://www.fastcompany.com/1824797/exclusive-hipstamatic-ins...

metabrew 15y ago

Signed up; around 40% of pictures in my feed are photos of cups of coffee. Is this normal?

noinput 15y ago
Only if 1/2 of them have tilt-shift applied.
- sp332 15y ago
  The Android version doesn't have tilt-shift :(
adw 15y ago
It's the Food Channel for geeks, seriously.
pelemele 15y ago
Yes. The same here ;-)
yo-mf 15y ago
Sounds like there are a lot of closers out there ;)
starwed 15y ago
I downloaded it this morning in a coffee shop and the first picture I took was of a cappuccino cup. I could see that being a common reaction! It's that or a computer screen.
- stevenspasbo 15y ago
  hah, I just installed it, and my first picture was of my macbook
burningion 15y ago
70% of mine are pictures of dogs and cats. Yes, it's normal.

tuananh 15y ago

Blindly porting iOS app to android app without adopting Android UI/UX. Just like what Readability did.

metageek 15y ago
They're not even using the Android sharing system. The only way to share from the Instagram app is to upload to Instagram, and optionally tell it to forward the photo to one or more of the sites they support (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr). If you want real Android sharing, you have to switch to the Gallery and share from there.
- andrewpi 15y ago
  It's very annoying: I kept looking for the Android 'Share' button and eventually realized that it just didn't exist on Instagram.
fpgeek 15y ago
To be fair, Readability is doing a good job of responding to feedback from Android users. There are still more than a few issues (e.g. better control of background processing), but they did quickly turn around support for Share Intents (first out and then in) so I'd say they're moving in the right direction.
unicornporn 15y ago
From what I understand, they rewrote it from scratch.
- tuananh 15y ago
  They didn't adapt Android user interface guidelines. Example, menu and search buttons are useless; not using share intents, etc..

xelipe 15y ago

Instagram = filters + social. Istagram doesn't have the best platform for filters or social, but is a case where the sum is greater than its parts. For filters, I prefer Camera+ and for this type of sharing I like Tumblr. If only Tumblr had a photo filter app.

iamdave 15y ago
"If only Tumblr had a photo filter app." scribbles this down
- there 15y ago
  Instagram has the ability to automatically share on Tumblr, so I'm guessing most users that would want to do that already do.

zalew 15y ago

> This app is incompatible with your HTC Wildfire. Not that I even wanted to use it, but other photo making, photo editing, photo filtering and photo sharing apps work on my modest little smartphone. F.ex. Flickr, even the mobile Photoshop.

freehunter 15y ago
Such is the difficulty in targeting a non-standardized system. Developers have a hard time making apps for platforms that vary wildly. It's a lot more cost effective to hit the big, easy targets on Android then focus your effort on iOS. Single-platform, more purchases, and less development work.
- zalew 15y ago
  Boo hoo, quit dropping those cliches in here. From what I see, Instagram is one of the few for whom it was too hard (can't recall what was the last time an app didn't work for me). "Requires Android: 2.2 and up" so it's either they excluded lower resolutions or it requires too much RAM for my device to handle or sth, neither of which is a system problem as apps of similar and bigger photo functionality work just fine and smooth.
  - freehunter 15y ago
    "Requires Android: 2.2 and up" so it's either they excluded lower resolutions or it requires too much RAM for my device to handle Note that I didn't say developers couldn't handle it, I said it's not always cost efficient to do so. If someone is still on Android <2.2 or if their device doesn't have enough memory, that's an Android issue. Android exclusively is the only platform to have devices with wildly varying system versions, RAM, and resolution. I don't see anything in your post that even begins to make an argument against that. On the other hand, I've seen at least one post of a developer making a high profile exit from the Android community because of the differences. It's not that Android is hard, it's that is harder, and for less return. Most mobile developers can't afford to buy every system to test on, and can't afford lengthy development and support cycles.

dabent 15y ago

Link as it won't isn't showing up in the Play store search just yet: http://instagram.com/android/ http://instagram.com/android/

jasonhitchcock 15y ago

Instagram is the most overrated app of the year.

perlpimp 15y ago

In Russia it isn't available, at least in search results. Whats up with that.

pook1e 15y ago
Same thing in the US. It probably hasn't been indexed yet, but you can access the link directly: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram....

drivebyacct2 15y ago

For those confused about the confused, if you've not used Android, it's trivial to share to any capable app via the default Camera/Gallery. It's very fast for me to snap a photo and share it over FB/Twitter, so unless you're into "hipster filters", Instagram doesn't really add a lot of value to the experience. That, and I don't know anyone that uses it. I'm surrounded by iPhone users in the Midwest but I don't know a one of them that have used Instagram, most don't know what it is.

vibrunazo 15y ago
I don't use iOS, so I'm not familiar with its sharing capabilities. Does Instagram solves any problem with the sharing there?
- RKearney 15y ago
  No. Either way you're going to have to launch an app in iOS to share a message to Facebook. You can tweet pictures straight from the photo gallery, but if you want to post to Facebook then you have to launch the Facebook app and upload the picture from there. Instagram doesn't really solve any issues because now you're just launching another application instead of Facebook.
  - fpgeek 15y ago
    I thought the initial problem Instagram solved (before its own network became popular) was that you could launch one application are share multiple places (and I suppose eliminating another app from the flow with filters). However, since I'm an Android user I could easily mistaken about this.

Prophasi 15y ago

Just look at that obnoxious period hanging out there slyly at the end of the non-sentence subject. It's full of "just a period here, not an exclamation point, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna be pretty ebullient anyway" faux-understatement. None of their other post titles end in periods. So annoying, riiight? Guys...?

andersh 15y ago

The app doesn't appear if you search for instagram on the android market. Found it by googling and installing from the Play website, which is horrible to use on a phone. Rubbish, but not at all surprising to an android user. Oh - download failed.

oijaf888 15y ago

Why does it require access to my contacts?

skeletonjelly 15y ago
To search for friends. You still have to trigger this step manually and it lets you know that you're about to send Instagram your contacts.

codenerdz 15y ago

A hint to those not finding the app in Android Play store: Navigate to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.... from your Android's phone browser and install from there. I simply did google search for 'google play instagram' and and navigated to the first link.

nextparadigms 15y ago

It still looks more like an iOS app than an Android one. That is unfortunate. Both Android and iOS have pretty much the same userbase right now, and it deserves the respect as a platform. You wouldn't expect to see a Mac-style app on Windows, or a Windows-style app on Mac, and that's with a much larger difference in userbase. Even Linux apps get their own style.

thabest 15y ago

I cant get instagram on my htc wildfire and it pissed me off!

laconian 15y ago

The reaction from some iPhone users is rich. http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-disgusted-by-android-instagram http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-disgust...

tatsuke95 15y ago
Well, my opinion of the average person just got a lot worse.
- tapsboy 15y ago
  Also, they think that if Android users follow them, they will start receiving their instagram shots in their feed
tferris 15y ago
That's a marvelous thread showing the iPhone's #1 buying reason for the masses: it's just a status symbol Instagram was more than a photo sharing app it was the largest iPhone users only social network.
antihero 15y ago
Christ, that is a worrying level of brand worship and commodity fetishism.
megablast 15y ago
These are most likely kids.

michaelmior 15y ago

One thing that surprised me about this app is the completely blank screen I was greeted with after installing. No CTA, no idea really what to do next. Of course I can play around with the app and figure it out, but it seems like a huge oversight not to help me along.

daimyoyo 15y ago

I'm so glad this app is finally available for Android. I sold my iPhone 4 last August and I've missed this app so much. I also miss Path, but it's not currently compatible with my Samsung Replenish. Oh well. If you don't have this app yet, I highly recommend it.

EnderMB 15y ago

I'm disappointed that Android users have flocked over to Instagram considering they've been running on the iPhone happily for a long time now without any real wish to ever bring their service to Android. There are many similar apps already on Android and considering the Android community I would have imagined them to not back Instagram's move out of principle. Personally, I wouldn't ever use the product, but I'm glad to see that they've finally brought it to the Android platform after so long.

rbarooah 15y ago
Android is the world's most popular smartphone OS. Most users use it because it is the OS that powers the phone that they thought best fit their needs when they bought it, not because they have any special loyalty to a 'community'. Why wouldn't they flock to a popular service that lots of people say is fun?

NoBorders 15y ago

Instagram became popular simply because, when it was introduced to the iPhone there was no other app that could match its ability. Unlike the iPhone, the android has excellent photography tools. Instagram is just an addition not a replacement.

king-coconut 15y ago

I heard the Instagram hype all over internets and tried the software, but deleted it right away when I saw it required an account. I can see why they are doing this, but from my perspective it's just greedy. No need to integrate everything, I just want to take some pictures not register to a service. Soon we will have calculator apps that force you to make super-calc-account where you can share your calculations with your friends...

rbarooah 15y ago
Instagram is a photo sharing social network. How would you expect it to work without creating an account?

yaix 15y ago

Why does Instagram need access to my phone's address book? Will it steal that data too, or ask me before copying anything to their servers? Just want to know before install. I don't want to share photos with /everybody/ in my address book.

sp332 15y ago
It does ask first, I checked. Plus I'm pretty sure it looks for people for you to follow, not send pics to.