Almost a decade after they disappeared, Instagram previews have returned to Twitter.
Since 2012, tweets linking to an Instagram post show just that: a link. Now, however, the link will bring up a small preview of the Instagram post so you can make a more informed decision about whether to click through to the Instagram app to view it in full.
The feature works for Android, iOS and the web version of Twitter.
“They said it would never happen… Twitter Card previews start rolling out TODAY,” Instagram said in a tweet announcing the change, explaining: “Now if you share an Instagram link on Twitter, it will show up an example of that message.”
They Said It Would Never Happen… Twitter Card Previews Begin Rolling Out TODAY. 👀
Now when you share an Instagram link on Twitter, a preview of that post will appear. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XSZRx9dzd1
— Instagram (@instagram) Nov 3, 2021
Twitter also highlighted the new feature on its support account, saying: “If you also want to share your latest Instagram post on the Twitter timeline, you’re in luck: now if you share a link to an IG post in a Tweet, it will be appears as a card with a preview of the photo.”
If you also want to share your latest Instagram post on the Twitter timeline, you’re in luck: now when you share a link to an IG post in a Tweet, it will appear as a card with a preview of the photo.
Rollout on Android, iOS and web.
— Twitter Support (@Twitter Support) Nov 3, 2021
Including previews should work in Twitter’s favor, as it means people using the app are less likely to go to Instagram to research a link, and may not come back until much later.
And with Twitter filled with media of all kinds these days, Instagram seems to have finally come to the idea that it’s better to include a preview image than just a simple link, going back on its decision to remove previews in 2012. .
It is not clear why Instagram has started showing previews on Twitter again. Digital Trends has reached out to the social media company for more information and we’ll update this article when we hear back.
In other Twitter news today, the microblogging site just made it easier for iOS users (Android and web coming soon) to switch between “latest” tweets that show posts in chronological order and “home” tweets that list with tweets that calculate a Twitter algorithm that interests you most.
Previously you had to click on a “star” icon at the top of the screen and then select whether you wanted the “latest” or “home” feed, while both options now appear as tabs at the top of the screen, making it much easier to switch between them .
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