Facebook-owned social media platform, Instagram is now testing a new in-app feature that will inform its users worldwide when the app is experiencing service outages or technical issues. The notification about the alert will appear directly in users’ activity feeds in case of any such problems.
Instagram Takes Action After It Became the Center of Memes and Jokes
According to the photo-sharing app, the notification from the in-app feature won’t be sent out every time there are service outages, but only when the platform detects that users are confused and searching for explanations. The said in-app feature is announced after two major service outages that the platform underwent in the past week, which made it the focus of memes and jokes on Twitter.
Furthermore, last week on Monday, Facebook and its subsidiary apps were struck by a 6-hour long outage and then again for a short period on Friday. The company while apologizing for the service outages revealed that both were prompted by configuration adjustments but were unrelated.
The In-App Feature Will Keep Users Informed of Service Outages
“Through conversations with our community and extensive research, we know how confusing it can be when temporary issues happen on Instagram. When they impact engagement or distribution, we also know that it can lead people to think that the problems are unique to them, based on what they post. That lack of clarity can be frustrating, which is why we want it to be easier to understand what’s going on, directly from us,” Instagram stated in a blog post.
Read more: Instagram to Launch Take a Break Feature to Keep Teens Away from Harmful Content
With the new alert in-app feature, the users will no longer have to question if the app is not working because of an error on their end or bad internet from their service providers. The latest feature is being tested in the US for the following few months, as the firm said that they want to begin small with this alert feature. It will be extended to more users if it performed well.
Instagram is Also Working on Account Status Feature
Instagram further announced that it is rolling out a new feature called “Account Status” that will make it easier for people to know whether their account is at risk of being disabled. Instagram states that the new tool will be a “one-stop-shop to see what’s going on with your account.” If users believe Instagram has made an error with a post of theirs that was removed, they can request by selecting the “Request a Review” option directly within the tool.
Source: TechCrunch
