Instagram is testing a “Regram” button, which should work just like Retweets on Twitter. Do we really need it, and when are we all getting it?
Instagram is always testing new things. Most platforms are. And, to be honest, a large chunk of test features never see the light of day for most users. But this time, among other things, Instagram is quietly testing a new feature that got social media managers excited across the world: a dedicated “Regram” button.
“Regramming” – otherwise known as the sharing of someone else’s pictures on your profile – has been an important part of what many users do on Instagram. And it’s not a strange behaviour either: Twitter has Retweets, which are extremely popular, and Tumblr has Reblogs. To some extent, Facebook’s shares are also an extension of this behaviour we all have in common on social media: sharing things we found and like.
Yet, there has never been an easy way to “Regram” a picture on Instagram. Until now, you could do it with third-party apps, or literally screen-grabbing a photo, editing it and re-sharing it on your own profile. So, the thought of a dedicated button within the Instagram app to do this, is, at the very least, exciting.
Do we really need it? Well, the truth is that users don’t know what they want until they see it, right? So my personal opinion is that once that native “Regram” button makes it way onto our app, people will start using it. And this could well be the start of a rapidly modifying behaviour on Instagram, as users will start sharing photos from other users more and more.