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Post by caeterle on Sept 29, 2022 1:22:23 GMT -6
So I have been on Instagram from my computer for a while and I have no idea what I'm doing. Googling help posts hasn't helped.
First my window with the filters suddenly got smaller, so I couldn't even get to the "Vignette" anymore which I like using, but which worked better on Instagram than my picture editor (which I'm still not happy with and I wish PicMonkey hadn't messed up their upgrade because I really miss it, but that's another vent). I made my screen smaller and now I can see "Vignette" just so that I can use it (although I made it bigger again, should I understand that?) For about a week ago, if I search for a hashtag, I get the nine top posts and that's it. The latest pictures just don't show anymore the way they did before. I'd like to browse the new posts.
Following a hashtag doesn't work, either. I only see posts from people I follow, no hashtags, and how am I supposed to find other people to follow if I can't see posts with the hashtags I like?
I'm quickly getting bored with this and since I only have about five followers, anyway, I'm wondering if this is for me. Mind you, I'm not complaining about the number of followers, I'm used to that by now, but if I can't look for pictures, why should I bother posting any myself?
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Post by caeterle on Oct 29, 2022 0:21:55 GMT -6
No one at all?
It has become worse since then. I still only get the top posts, but now - I think that was what Michelle has been talking about before - I only get the last three days in my feed and then loads of suggestions from other channels. I don't even get the little dot anymore that shows me there are new posts from the people I follow.
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Post by DawninCal on Oct 29, 2022 13:38:28 GMT -6
Oooops, sorry Cat. I'm just seeing your post for the first time; must have missed it when you first posted your questions. I have a neglected Instagram account and it's been so long since I was on there, that I really can't help you as I'm not familiar enough with your issues to give any advice. It sounds like the Instagram folks are playing around with the format. You know how those techies like to fix things that aren't broken. The best idea I have is to try to find a forum for Instagram users and see if anyone else is having the same problems and whether or not they've found a fix. For what it's worth, I am planning on becoming active on IG again and I will definitely follow you when I do. Last time I looked, I think I had 120 followers but some may have dropped me since I've been inactive. I hope one of our other members will come along and be more helpful than I am. Dawn
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Post by DawninCal on Oct 29, 2022 13:43:09 GMT -6
P.S. As I was sitting here typing my reply and very large bear walked by the window. I was so surprised that I wasn't fast enough to grab my camera and get a photo. We don't see them out during the day time very often, but they are in hyper eating mode right now as they prepare to go into hibernation. Holy cow! Dawn
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Post by Irith-Rita on Oct 31, 2022 16:47:31 GMT -6
Cat and Dawn. I just noticed your comments here for the first time. Sorry Cat,I don't understand a word of what you have written LOL. I love Instagram more than Facebook, because I enter it through my cell phone and watch all the beautiful feeds, stories and reels people post there.
Cat you seem to know how to add hashtags, but perhaps not many people follow the ones you use. You should add the ones that people search for.
How to find tags and what I do:
I post a photograph of one of my jewelry pieces. Then I add the hash tags. I begin by adding the first one. For example - a very popular one - #handmadejewelry. When I do this, a list appears on the top of the screen with the number of people who use it. (This is too popular but I am using it as an example- about 1,300,000 or so). I prefer hashtags with a much smaller number of people who use it. Then I click on the hashtag I have just added under my own item, and a whole "handmade jewelry" gallery opens to me with people's items. I check what other hashtags these jewelery designers have added and add one or two of them to my own feed. It is permitted to add up to 10 tags, but most people add around 20.
I also click "Like" on the items I see and love, which is important,and many times people like me back.
Perhaps you know all this by yourselves.
I hope you can understand my somewhat clumsy explanation:)
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Post by michelle on Oct 31, 2022 21:49:20 GMT -6
Apologies for my late response! I deactivated my Instagram account. That said, I know Instagram is more cooperative on the app than through a computer browser. I don’t know if that’s part of the problem. Also, about the only way to get followers is to follow others. It’s all very transactional. I’m sorry I’m not more help.
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Post by caeterle on Nov 1, 2022 2:17:58 GMT -6
Irith, maybe you don't understand because it doesn't look like this for you? I know all of that, and again, this is not about who follows me or my hashtags. It is about whom I want to follow. The point is that I can't follow others if I don't even see their posts. When searching for a hashtag or clicking on a hashtag in one of my posts, Instagram shows me that there are thousands of posts as a result, but I don't get a gallery like you do. All I get are the nine "top posts". Every time, for every hashtag, for at least six weeks now if not longer. When I started, I saw the nine top posts and below that the "New posts" sorted by date. Obviously I want to see the new posts about a topic, so I followed those hashtags and it didn't do anything. The only way to see other posts is "explore" and that gives me tons of posts I don't want to see at all or to go to people's profiles directly which I can't because I don't know them yet. I think Michelle is probably right and Instagram just can't be used right on a computer. Instagram help or googling didn't help, either. I guess I'm going to deactivate it because like this it's only frustrating. Thank you all, anyway
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Post by caeterle on Nov 1, 2022 2:20:55 GMT -6
P.S. Oh wow, the little dot telling me that there are new posts by my friends is back. But now I can't scroll down anymore because it keeps jumping back to a particular post. This is really getting ridiculous.
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Post by DawninCal on Nov 1, 2022 12:33:44 GMT -6
I'm thinking Michelle may be onto something. Later today, after I get done running errands including a Covid booster and a flu shot, I will log into my IG account with both my laptop and my new phone. If I have the same troubles as Cat, that will give us a pretty good idea that it's the computer Cat is using. IG always was intended primarily for smart phones; the computer support was almost like an after thought. If I recall correctly, in the beginning it was for phones only, but that changed somewhere along the way. Sorry IG is causing you so much frustration, Cat. Dawn
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Post by caeterle on Nov 1, 2022 12:48:31 GMT -6
Computers are causing me frustration. I remember when Instagram was just for smartphones. I should never have got tempted to use it
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Post by Irith-Rita on Nov 1, 2022 13:49:09 GMT -6
I am sorry I haven't been of much help. Michelle is right about how to get followers and using computers for Instagram.
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Post by caeterle on Nov 1, 2022 23:54:17 GMT -6
That's okay, Irith. It was a shot into the dark thinking some of you may have experiences something similar because their IT is playing. I know it from FB where often several users experience the same bug as others and others don't have a problem at all.
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Post by DawninCal on Nov 2, 2022 13:14:06 GMT -6
Well, I didn't get around to signing into IG yesterday due to the reaction I had to the booster. Every little thing seemed to take too much effort and energy last night. I was dragging this morning, but am starting to feel more like myself. I will try to log in after I take a shower and get dressed. Back later! Dawn
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Post by DawninCal on Nov 2, 2022 16:54:47 GMT -6
Ok, I signed into IG on my laptop, and if I'm understanding you correctly, Cat, I did a hashtag search and at the top of the page were the top nine posts just as you described. Below those top nine were hundreds of other posts and I think that's what you are saying. You are not seeing all those hundreds of other posts when you search a hashtag.
I also followed the hashtag and lots of members I don't follow came up with that hashtag.
Since I was able to do this on my laptop, I'm back to wondering if the techies at IG are playing around with the site/settings, etc. Or maybe it's a setting on your computer that's not right. Sometimes when my computer does updates, settings get messed up or things aren't like they were before and I find it so annoying.
I also followed you while I was over there.
Are the results I'm reporting answering any of your concerns/questions or have I completely misunderstood?
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Post by caeterle on Nov 3, 2022 1:02:44 GMT -6
No, that's exactly my problem, thank you for trying it, Dawn.
I know there was no update before I "lost" those extra posts from literally one second to the other, so I don't have any idea what could have caused it. Also Instagram won't let me reset my password, so I won't be able to take it over to my new (not yet installed completely) laptop. If they don't like me, they could just tell me, lol!
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