Instagram has climbed the popularity list among social networks, already having more than 20 million users who use it both to share personal images and to display product and service catalogs of any kind. Its continuous evolution has allowed it to become an essential platform for both individual users and brands, businesses, and digital content creators.
However, Instagram hides secrets and advanced features that most people don't know about. In this extensive and detailed article, you'll discover Cheats, hidden features, and customization options that will allow you to get the most out of Instagram, whether you have a personal or professional profile, whether you are looking to optimize privacy, improve your strategy, grow your followers or master the tools that the platform offers.
Instagram is constantly being updated, multiplying the number of features and details that users can take advantage of. From security settings to aesthetic and interaction options, we present the definitive guide to master Instagram like an expert.
Types of Instagram posts: master each format
Instagram has moved beyond being just a photography-focused network and has become a multi-modal platform. Knowing each type of post allows you to diversify your content and make the most of the creative options.
- Traditional publications: Photos and videos in your feed, ideal for ongoing content, promotions, or samples of your work.
- Stories: Vertical photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours. They allow you to add text, stickers, polls, links, mentions, and much more.
- Reels: Short, dynamic videos that emulate the TikTok format. They can remain on your profile indefinitely and go viral easily.
- Direct: Live broadcasts where you can interact with your audience right away. Live broadcasts can be saved for others to watch later.
- IGTV: Long-form videos, useful for tutorials, talks, interviews, or extended content.
Advanced profile customization and SEO optimization
Your Instagram profile is your calling card to millions of users. Maximizing its potential is key to promote Whether you are looking for popularity, sales or professional visibility.
- Optimized name and usernameChoose a short, memorable nickname that's relevant to your brand or industry. Include relevant keywords in your name and bio to show up in search results.
- Strategic biographyAdd hashtags that define you, mentions of other accounts you own, and emojis that add personality. Include an always-updated link to your main website, store, or channel.
- Alternative text (alt text) in images: Add descriptions to your photos using the alt text option to improve accessibility and help Instagram understand what your content is about, gaining visibility.
- Unified visual aestheticsDefine a corporate color palette and fonts so your posts are instantly recognizable. Maintaining visual consistency generates greater engagement.
- Previewing and organizing your feed: Use external apps like Planoly or Preview to visually plan your profile, ensuring harmony and order.
Master filters and effects: how to organize them and expand your options
Instagram allows you to modify the appearance of your photos and videos thanks to a wide variety of filters and effects:
- Rearrange and customize filtersWhen posting a photo or video, select "Filter." Scroll to the bottom of the list and click "Manage." Here you can sort the filters according to your preferences, activate or deactivate unused ones, and define your favorite set to make the editing process easier.
- Find and add new effectsIn both Stories and Reels, access the effects finder and explore hundreds of filters created by other users. You can save them to your camera roll to use whenever you want.
- custom colors: When editing, long-press on a color to open the full palette and choose any custom shade—ideal for branding and themed campaigns.
Privacy and security settings for a protected account
Security is key. Instagram has numerous settings that will help you maintain control over your information and privacy:
- Private account: Only people you approve can follow you and see your content.
- Comment and tag control: Limit who can comment on your posts and who can tag you. You can also manually approve tags or block comments with offensive words using automatic and custom filters.
- Hiding stories: Decide who can see your stories or create best friend lists for exclusive content. You can also hide your stories from specific users in your settings.
- Activity status: Hide your last online time for private browsing.
- Review of logins: See which devices and locations your account has been accessed from, and close suspicious sessions.
- Two-step authentication: Activate an extra security feature that requires an additional code sent to your mobile phone or email every time you log in.
Notification Management: Control and customize your alerts
Notifications can be a help or a distraction. Instagram lets you manage which notifications you receive and from whom:
- Custom notifications: On any user's profile, click the bell and decide if you want to receive alerts for each post, story, live stream, or Reel that account publishes.
- Mute accountsIf an account posts too much or doesn't interest you, you can mute their stories and posts, keeping them on your following list without them knowing.
- Disable all: Go to Settings > Notifications and choose what types of notifications you want to receive to avoid overload.
- Settings on your mobile: Remember to enable notifications from your device's settings so that Instagram notifications work properly.
Hidden Posts and Content Archive: Clean Up Without Losing Anything
Do you have photos or videos you don't want to show but don't want to delete either? Instagram's archive allows you to temporarily hide any post:
- Go to the post, click the three dots, and select “Archive.”
- The content will disappear from your feed but will remain accessible in your archive section.
- To restore it, go to the archive, select the post, and click “Show on Profile.”
- Story Archive: All the stories you publish are saved in the archive. You can review them, relive them, or add them to your highlights whenever you want.
How to share and download your Instagram content
- Share your posts on other networks: Instagram makes it easy to post simultaneously to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and more by connecting your accounts in Settings > Account > Share to other apps.
- Download your full contentFrom the Security section, you can request a copy of everything you've shared on Instagram, which you'll receive by email, including photos, videos, messages, and associated data.
- Save originals: In addition to sharing, you can configure the app to save an original copy of each photo or video you post to your phone.
Advanced organization: collections, favorites, and saved posts
- Custom collections: Save your own or other people's posts in thematic collections to consult whenever you want.
- Featured Stories: Create public albums with your most relevant stories, always visible on your profile and customizable with unique covers.
- Favorite Posts: View your history of liked posts by going to Settings > Account > Liked Posts.
Interaction and community: secrets to increasing engagement
- Take advantage of the algorithmInstagram prioritizes content with the most likes, comments, shares, and saves. It launches questions, polls, challenges, and interactive stickers to encourage engagement.
- Always respond: Take the time to answer messages and comments to strengthen your relationship with your community.
- Circle of best friends: Publish exclusive stories for your most loyal group of followers, creating a sense of belonging and exclusivity.
- Limits responses and reactions: Decide who can comment or react to your stories and posts to avoid spam or unwanted interactions.
Automation and productivity: manage your time intelligently
For those who use Instagram professionally, efficiency is key:
- Multi-account: Switch between multiple accounts without leaving the app, ideal for social media managers.
- post scheduleUse apps like Later, Buffer, or Creator Studio to have your publishing schedule ready weeks in advance.
- Drafts: Save half-finished posts to edit and publish later.
- External appsTools like Canva, Crello, and InShot make it easy to design and edit professional content for your feed and stories.
Unlimited Creativity: Advanced Tricks for Your Stories and Reels
- Draw and fill the entire screen: In the story editor, use the brush or underline tool and hold the screen to fill it with a solid or translucent color.
- Create collages and combine photos: Layout mode lets you create collages directly in Stories; add as many images as you like using camera stickers.
- Multi-colored text and decorative fonts: Select individual letters to apply different colors. You can use external pages to copy unique fonts for your bio or stories.
- Add music and lyrics: Insert song fragments, choose the exact moment and view the lyrics on screen.
- Add automatic subtitles to Reels: 85% of users watch without sound. Use the subtitle feature to improve accessibility and reach.
- Custom Reel Covers: Create eye-catching images to grab attention in the first few seconds and stand out in the feed.
Downloads, reuse and compatibility with other platforms
- Download stories and videos: Tap the three dots on your story and select “Save.” The file will include stickers and text overlays.
- Share songs from Spotify: From Spotify, select the option to share to Instagram stories to add music to your narrative.
- Cross posts: Share stories as permanent posts and vice versa, adapting the format according to the channel.
Managing mentions, tags, and privacy in interactions
- Full control of tags and mentions: Configure your privacy settings to determine who can tag or mention you and how those tags are approved.
- Untag yourself easily: Tap your name on any photo you've been tagged in and remove the tag if you don't want to appear.
- Mute other people's stories and posts: Access the three dots on a user’s story or post and choose “Mute,” selecting what type of content to hide.
Managing account history, data, and changes
- Delete search history: Maintain your privacy by deleting past searches from your Security settings.
- Access to all data and changes: View change logs for email, phone, username, passwords, and privacy settings.
- Connected apps: Review and remove third-party apps that you no longer want to access your information.
Strategies and techniques to grow on Instagram
- Experiment and analyzeDon't be afraid to try new formats, challenges, or trends. Measure the impact and adjust your content based on the results.
- Audience study: Use Instagram Insights to understand what types of posts, times, and topics resonate best with your followers.
- Hashtags and positioningChoose relevant and specific hashtags. Research which ones are trending in your niche and use them strategically.
- Intelligent interaction: Respond to messages, acknowledge comments, and participate in conversations to boost your visibility and engagement.
- Collaborations and mentions: Influencers, joint giveaways, and collaborations with other accounts boost your reach to new audiences.
Extra tips: tricks for expert users
- QR codes and contact cards: Generate your ID card from your profile menu to make it easier for people to find and follow you in person, at events, or networking.
- Tracking favorites and hashtags: You can follow not only people but also hashtags, making it easier to discover content of interest and participate in thematic communities.
- Follower management and cleanup: Instagram shows you which accounts you follow and have the least engagement with, allowing you to unfollow them for a more relevant feed.
- Recovering deleted posts: Access the “Recently Deleted” folder to restore content you have accidentally deleted in the last 24 hours.
- Blocking words in comments: Use automatic and manual filters to avoid harassment or spam in your posts.
Each of these features and tricks will allow you to get the most out of Instagram like never before, helping your account become more secure, professional, and attractive to both current and potential followers. With these tools and knowledge, you'll be one step ahead, whatever your social media goal: visibility, sales, personal branding, or pure creativity.