Instagram has announced a new feature that's easy on the eyes.
Everyone who uses Instagram has found themselves in the interesting predicament of stopping to look at a photo and straining to see some odd object in the background or maybe a mark on someone's face. The same thing goes for videos. The team behind Facebook-owned Instagram probably noticed users across the world squinting at their phones, because it has just done something to alleviate their eye woes.
The company has developed a pinch-to-zoom feature for both photos and videos. It will be available across the entire iOS app, meaning it will work on not only media in your feed but also on people's profiles and in the Explore tab. Although the new feature is coming to iPhone users first, Instagram said it will be rolling out to Android users “in the coming weeks" as well.
So, how does it work, exactly? Simple: Make a pinching gesture with your pointer finger and thumb anywhere on a photo or video that you'd like to see in closer detail, and then open your fingers (un-pinch, basically) while gliding across your device's touchscreen. That section of the media will simultaneously zoom-in as you open your fingers. It's pretty easy to figure out.
If you still need help, or if you're wondering what pinch to zoom looks like, check out Instagram's example below. PetaPixel also posted a hand-on, and from that video, it seems like when you pinch photos and videos, a lightbox-like effect occurs, and then the media comes out of the frame.