The Instagram Feature You’ve Been Waiting For Is Finally Here

Every time Instagram introduces a new feature — Stories, longer videos, Boomerang — it's exciting, but also seems to miss the point. Why introduce a brand-new platform, like the Snapchat-like Stories, without first addressing some of the tools that users really want? Now, at last, Instagram has done just that. Today, the app launched Zoom. All you have to do is pinch your fingers on an image or video to see part of a photo or video close-up. This means that if you want to see the beading on an influencer's dress, or get a more detailed look at rainbow-coloured frosting, you can. Of course, for anyone posting content, this also means that your photos will face increased scrutiny. It's only a matter of time before a celebrity posts a picture with something unfortunate lurking in the corner. Knowing how the internet loves to capitalise on the smallest of oddities and errors, it will be interesting to see what happens as Zoom rolls out — er, in? iOS users will have access to the app update starting today, and it will be coming to Android devices in the next few weeks. Check out the video below for an up-close look at the new tool.