Instagram 3.0 is bolder, better, smarter

We all know Instagram, better known as the camera of the internet. For the uninitiated, Instagram is a social media camera app with built-in filters, a lot like Hipstamatic really. Snap a pic of a bangle, add an emo filter, share with friends. Click, instant gratification. Version 3.0 though, adds myriad updates to an already slick app.

Ain’t nothing better than Photo Maps

Apple and Android have had this feature knocking about since day one, mostly. Instagram 3.0 adds Photo Maps, which takes the geolocation information from existing photos in order to line it up on a map. Once your photos are added (and the choice is completely up to you), a fairly slow-loading Google map with albums of Instagrammed pictures appears.

Tapping each album zooms deeper into the map, splits the album even further until ultimately, one photo remains. Adding photos to the map is a breeze. After snapping a pic, just select “add to your photo map” and boom, done. Quick, clean and like, why the hell are we only getting it now? Instagram has always been about social snaps, Photo Maps ups the game even further.

There’s other stuff

Photo comments can now be deleted or reported as spammy with a single swipe. Instagram is doing this to keep shit “safe and fun” in its words.

As is the case with most picture apps/sites now, Instagram 3.0 adds infinite scrolling. When you reach the bottom of the page, more photos automatically load. You won’t have to touch that dreadful “load more” button ever again.

The photo upload screens, user profiles, the Explore tab, hashtag and location pages have received a lavish amount of care and attention. Everything just looks, better. You can learn more from the Instagram blog. Photos, for one are bigger on the preview grid. The photo upload screen sees the most cosmetic changes, with sharing made even easier thanks to the intuitive social grid. My opinion? It looks great, even better then before and for someone with a current Instagram addiction, version 3.0 is only going to escalate the crack-like affinity to an app that’s been downloaded over 80-million times. Download now.

Grab Instagram 3.0 for Apple or Android. It’s the right thing to do.