Instagram has updated in a major way. It didn't add new filters or tools but actually a signifier that tells you how many times people looked at your post.

In a blog post, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing app announced that its users can now see how many times people have watched a video posted on Instagram. That means, whenever you post a video, you'll see how popular it is right away, and anyone who looks at your video will be able to see the same thing. Unfortunately, Instagram hasn't expanded this new feature to its other type of post: photos. And it hasn't said it will.

"Since launching video two years ago and introducing Hyperlapse and Boomerang, you’ve made video storytelling on Instagram take off," explained Instagram. "Views are the most widely expected form of feedback on video. That’s why you’ll begin to see view counts underneath videos where before you’d normally see likes. You’ll be able to see likes by tapping 'views'."

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Instagram

Instagram has more than 400 million users, and by adding views to videos, it is likely trying to encourage its community to engage with video. Apparently, the amount of time people spend watching videos on Instagram has spiked 40 per cent, so it's probably looking to keep that growth going. But Instagram will only register a view each time a video has been watched for at least three seconds.

Facebook offers a very similar feature. And Vine, which is owned by Twitter, also offers view counts on its 6-second clips.

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Instagram