Whether it’s a fun day at the beach, a business exhibition, or brunch with friends, people are constantly wondering – is it Instagram-worthy? 

Over the years, Instagram has grown immensely and even broadened its horizons. The popular photo-sharing app has truly come a long way from being the go-to app for vacationers sharing their holiday images to appealing to a wide range of advertisers, influencers, and brands.

Boasting more than 1.074 billion users worldwide, the app has gathered a lot of attention lately – not only from young millennials but people of all ages looking to connect through pictures or sell something online. People and businesses can increase their followers organically with a lot of work or they can buy legit Instagram followers for quicker results.

But, are you aware of the ins and outs of this Facebook-owned app? The following Instagram hacks and tips will make you an Insta pro in no time. 

1. Get notified when your favorite person posts something on Insta 

Never miss an Insta post from your favorite person by turning on notifications for each user individually. 

How to turn on these notifications? You have to visit the profile of the user, find the three dots in the upper-right-hand corner of the post, and click on it. Then, click on ‘Notifications’ from the menu and turn on notifications for either Insta stories or posts (or both) from the menu by toggling the button (the button will turn blue when it's turned on). 

You can turn it off by following the same steps.

2. Post YouTube videos to your Instagram account 

So, have you liked a video on YouTube and wondering how to share a YouTube video on Instagram? Here, you can follow these steps – 

• Download the video from YouTube 
• Share the downloaded video on Instagram 

For downloading videos from YouTube, you will find several tools in the App Store or Google Play Store. 

Alternatively, you can simply copy the YouTube video URL and paste it in on your Insta stories. This way, whoever clicks on the link, will be directed to YouTube and they can watch what you want to share. 

3. Enjoy some face time without using FaceTime

Do you want to video chat with someone who has slid into your DMs, but do not wish to exchange phone numbers? You can video chat right on Instagram. 

You just have to open the chat and click on the camera icon. It’s that simple! You can even create groups on Insta and have group video calls. 

To choose who can video chat with you, visit Settings > Notifications > Direct Messages. Then, under Video Chats, you can decide whether to turn it off completely, receive calls from everyone or only receive calls from those who you follow. 

Recently, Instagram has added the ability to watch Insta videos together while on a call. What you have to do is click the ‘Media’ icon when you are on a call and you’ll find a selection of photos and videos that you’ve liked. Choose the one that you want to watch together and it is going to take the main spot of your chat. 

4. Mute Instagram stories, posts or both 

Yes, you can mute Insta posts and stories when you want to take a break. But, how do you mute? Go to the Insta account’s page whose posts or stories you don’t wish to see any longer and tap Following v. Then, select Mute. 

You will then be given a choice whether you wish to mute just stories, just posts, or both. You can even do this by tapping on the ellipses on any account from your feed. 

The same process has to be followed to unmute. 

5. Manage multiple Instagram accounts 

Instagram lets you switch between 5 accounts without having to log out and then back in. If you have more than one Insta account and wish to use it all at once, follow these steps – 

• Go to Settings 
• Scroll to the bottom and tap Add Account 
• Enter the username and password of your additional account (s)
• To switch between accounts, visit your profile page and tap your user name at the top of the screen. Then, select the account that you wish to view in the pop-up menu. Alternatively, you can press for a long time on your profile icon on the home screen’s bottom right and select the account that you want 

6. Block other Insta users from commenting on your post 

Are you getting hate comments? Or, you simply don’t want people to comment on your Insta posts? Instagram allows you to choose who can comment – people you follow and your followers, everyone, your followers or people you follow. 

Go to Settings > Privacy > Comments > Block Comments From. Search for the accounts that you want to block. You can also toggle on Hide Offensive Comments and this will hide those comments that Instagram believes to be offensive. 

So, download Instagram and make the most use of this photo-sharing app. Use it to connect with your near and dear ones, to promote your business, or become an influencer.