Instagram tags now available for iPhone and Android users

Instagram has announced that users can start tagging their friends in their photos, courtesy of a new feature called Photos of You.

Facebook rose to such high popularity for being “cool”. One of the cool features is tagging. Users can see their friends in tagged photos, which is a nice way to find out what they have been up to, when they were not in your presence.

Instagram tags are now available for Android and iPhone users, who will be able to tag their friends and see the images in the Photos of You section.

Instagram announces tagging options and new “Photos of You” feature

As Facebook bought Instagram in early 2012, it is natural to lend it some features. The latest in a long series of borrowed features is tagging, allowing a user to tag a person or a company in a photo. The results will be displayed in a brand new section called Photos of You, which has started rolling out to all users.

Instagram users will have to download an update to their iPhone or Android application, in order to have access to “Photos of You” and then start tagging their buddies.

Tagging is better than mentioning

The company announced the update in a blog post, where it also explained its decision. Mentioning someone, like you would mention on Twitter with the “@” character, is something that instagramers do on a daily basis.

This is the way you used to add someone to a picture. However, it would have been hard to tell who is who, therefore the new tag button is easier to use and provides a more practical solution to a common need.

Instagram tags will be displayed in the new “Photos of You” section

People, places, or companies tagged in a photo will receive an email each time someone adds their tag, while other people will be able to see the pictures in the “Photos of You” tab.

It is worth mentioning that users can “untag” themselves from a photo. This is a welcomed option, which should fight against spammers or even stalkers.

For the time being, only the uploader can tag an image and it remains unknown whether or not your friends will be able to tag your photos.

Instagram mobile apps get bumped to version 3.5

The Instagram 3.5 update is available for download at the iTunes Store and at the Google Play Store for iOS, respectively Android smartphones and tablets.