Social media apps are meant to be enjoyable for users, and their apps should be up to date. From TikTok to Facebook, they now tend to have similar features. I personally like to use Instagram to doomscroll, make monthly posts or take on fun video projects.

Lately, Instagram has been a let-down for me. It’s the social media app I primarily use, and I cherish it a lot. Yet, it needs improvements, which has been on my mind for the past couple of months.

Just recently, I tried to make my monthly post for March, where I gathered all my favorite photos of the month into a post. I took my time putting my photos in order, choosing the correct song and making sure the photos were aligned properly. 

When I clicked the next button to start writing my caption and prepared to tag all my friends, my post disappeared. Poof, gone.

I got so frustrated at this defeat that I didn’t end up making a post that night. So, I thought back to all the other times Instagram has let me down multiple times. 

I’ve made a couple of videos on my Instagram account for fun or social media projects. In all of these videos I’ve made, I haven’t enjoyed using Instagram’s in-app editing feature. I prefer to use CapCut or other editing apps instead.

This next one might be controversial, but I don’t want AI to summarize my group chat’s messages. Before creating all these shortcuts with AI, I faintly remember their AI search being at the top of messages, and I really didn’t like that either. Since then, they moved it to their search page.

Meta Platforms Inc. owns Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Messenger. With Meta AI’s artificial intelligence implementation, all these platforms now have an AI assistant.

Asking Instagram to stop using AI on its platform is out of the question because Meta’s mission is to build a future of human connection and technology.

Last thing, I don’t like the bubble that pops up when someone you’re friends with likes something on reels. This might be the only thing I miss from TikTok, at least there I could private my likes.

After getting that off my chest, I’ll move onto the features on Instagram that I do like. 

One, their easy access bar to navigate to the home, reels, messages, search and account page. The two I use the most are the home and message pages.

Second, the accessible save button on reels on the right underneath the share button. This is mainly to save the reels I don’t want my followers to know I like because of the giant bubbles showing who has liked the reels.

I really appreciate the button for saving all the funny and interesting edit reels so I can make collections with them.

Third, the repost button. When I deleted TikTok in 2025 after the ban scare, I missed the repost button the most. Late last year, Instagram added the repost button, and I was over the moon. Slowly, this is how Instagram became my number one social media app. 

Afterward, I didn’t feel so bad about deleting TikTok, yet I brought some of the bad habits I had on TikTok to Instagram, like doomscrolling. 

Finally and most recently, Instagram has added ‘2x’ or two times speed lock to their reels. Before I saw it on Instagram, I saw it on Facebook Reels. I guess this is me admitting I have no patience when I’m watching or listening to anything, even short vlog videos.

Even though Instagram has its good qualities, as a user, I believe It should improve some of its features rather than adding new user capabilities.