Instagram sure took its sweet time, but the picture-sharing service announced on Tuesday that it has finally created a desktop web site for its app.
The site is already available at instagram.com, and it can be accessed through an iPad or Android tablet as well.
So what can you do with this long-awaited Web page? Basically, you can use Instagram.
Users who log I can check out their image feeds just like they would on their iPhone or Android device, like and comment on pictures, as well as browse through other people's photos. The Web site has been developed to look as much like the mobile app as possible, with the feed limited to showing one column of pictures at a time, in reverse chronological order. Why this took so long to go live is another matter, especially since users can't upload pics via the desktop Web page anyway.
According to Instagram, that's because even though the company wants to make its service more accessible to its users, it still wants the app to be used for sharing pics that have been taken on the move.
"We do not offer the ability to upload from the web as Instagram is about producing photos on the go, in the real world, in realtime," wrote Instagram founder Kevin Systrom on the app's blog. "On the other hand, Instagram for the web is focused on making the browsing experience a fast, simple and enjoyable one."
The build-up to a full Web page has been gradual but slow. Back in November, Instagram began allowing users to view their own profiles and pictures online. That was the extent of the feature, though, as you still couldn't look through pics of the people you follow or the ones being published through your main feed. That's obviously changed now. So, happy browsing!
