If you don’t have an Instagram account, it just got a lot harder to lurk public profiles. That’s because Instagram implemented a change that forces you to log in.
Previously, Instagram allowed anyone to use a web browser to view pictures and videos on any public profile. Now, however, public profiles will only show a handful of posts before Instagram demands users to log in to view the rest.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, confirmed the change in a statement to Mashable this week.
“Now if you’re not logged into Instagram, you can only see a certain amount of posts on public profiles before being asked to log in,” a Facebook spokesperson said. “This is to help people see photos on Instagram and then understand how to get the best Instagram experience by being part of the community, connecting and interacting with the people and things they love.”
This isn’t the first change Instagram has made in order to cut down on lurking, though. The media-sharing platform also recently got rid of its “Following” tab, which allowed users to see what posts their friends were interacting with.
Instagram found that many users were unaware that their activity could be viewed by others and opted to axe the feature entirely.
READ MORE:
- Facebook and Instagram limit sex workers in new Community Standards
- Cut down on the dashed lines and add multiple photos to one Instagram Story
- Instagram to label fake news as ‘False Information’
H/T Mashable