Are you tired of setting posts from people you don’t follow on your Instagram timeline? Things that appear “Because you follow a similar account” or “Because you liked a post from XYZ”? Here’s how you can remove those posts from your feed –

Please note: Instagram is still rolling this feature out and not all accounts may have it enabled yet.

1. Open the Instagram app and tap the Home icon to load your timeline. Then tap the Instagram logo/icon found in the upper-left corner of the screen.



2. Select Following from the list of options and your timeline will refresh and this time only display posts from people you actually follow.



3. That’s it! At this moment, you need to make this change each time you open the app – Instagram may allow for the setting to be more permanent in the future.

The post How to Display Only The Content You Want On Your Instagram Timeline appeared first on Simple Help.

1. Start by heading over to the IGDM home page and download the version for macOS. Double-click the .DMG file once the download has completed and then drag the App to your Applications folder to install it. Once that’s done, double-click the App to launch it.



2. Enter your Instagram username and password in the provided spaces and then click the Login to Instagram button.



3. A large and rather ‘blank’ window will appear. Use the search box located in the upper-left corner of the App to search for the Instagram user you would like to send a message to.


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4. As you type the name, IGDM will display a list of users. When you find the one you want to message, select their name from the list.



5. Now type out and send your message – it’s that easy!


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The post How to Send an Instagram DM from a Mac appeared first on Simple Help.

If you want to ‘mute’ someone you follow on Instagram – maybe they just post too many memes (we all have that friend) or it’s a business you want to support by following but aren’t interested in seeing their product/service every day – here’s how you can stop seeing their Posts in your timeline and still follow that account. Before you ask, the user in question won’t be notified in any way that you’ve muted them.

1. Open Instagram on your mobile device and navigate to the users ‘home page’ on IG. Tap the “3 dots” button in the upper-right corner of the window (see screenshot below).



2. Select Mute from the menu that pops up.



3. Finally, select Mute Posts, Mute Story or Mute Posts and Story based on your needs.



4. That’s it! You’ll no longer see their posts in your Timeline, but you can always visit their home page/main account page on Instagram and view their posts that way.

The post How to Ignore an Instagram Account Without Unfollowing It appeared first on Simple Help.

“Alt” text is written text that describes an image or photo. Using it on your Instagram photos allows screen-reading utilities to describe the image to visually impaired users, in addition to allowing search engines to better crawl and rank your content. Instagram attempts to ‘auto-generate’ ALT text for your posts and it’s usually not very good. Writing your own ALT text only takes a few moments and in all likelihood will increase your Instagram visibility.

To add ALT text to your Instagram posts, just follow these steps –

1. Compose your post as you always do, but this time tap the Advanced Settings link towards the bottom of the screen.



2. Scroll down to the ACCESSIBILITY section and select Write Alt Text



3. In the space provided, write a description of the photo or image you’re about to post. Do not write a series of keywords, instead write a brief ‘natural’ description of the photo. Don’t start the description with “this is a photo of” or “this is an image of” – just jump right in and describe it. When you’re finished tap the Done button and continue to post your image as always.



4. That’s it!

The post How to Add ALT Text to Your Instagram Photos appeared first on Simple Help.

This app works in Windows versions 7, 8.x and 10, but the screenshots and steps in this guide are from Windows 10. If you’re using Windows 7 or 8 you should be able to follow along just fine, the images and steps are very similar.

1. Head over to the the TwemojiTray download page and download the file emoji-toolbar.zip. Double-click the .zip file to open it, then select the Extract all button.



2. Click the Browse

   

3. I opted to put them in my C:\Program Files (x86) folder. You certainly don’t, but it’s as good a place as any – it is a ‘program file’ after all :)



4. No matter where you decide to store the files, make sure there’s a check in the box labelled Show extracted files when complete and then click the Extract button.



5. Depending on where you opted to extract the files you may be prompted with a message asking you to grant administrative privileges. Click Continue if so.



6. Once the files have been extracted a window will open displaying the newly created emoji-toolbar folder. Open it.



7. Inside you’ll find a win32 folder – open that one.



8. Finally! Find the file named emoji-toolbar.exe and double-click it to run the app.



9. Depending on your Windows settings, you may be prompted with a security warning window. Click the More info link at the end of the description.



10. Click the Run away button. Please keep in mind this app is perfectly safe – in fact it’s open source so you can look at all the code yourself if you’d like.



11. Ta-da! A new icon will appear in your System Tray. Give it a click.



12. A small pop-up window will appear with a large, scrollable list of all of the standardized emojis. You can even search for them using the small search box.



13. When you locate the emoji you want to use simply give it a click.



14. That will automatically copy the emoji to your Windows clipboard.



15. Now open a browser window or App, right-click and select Paste or use the keyboard combination Ctrl + v to paste the emoji wherever your cursor is currently residing.



16. Repeat as needed!



17. If you’d like to set TwemojiTray to open up automatically each time Windows starts, just follow the steps outlined in this tutorial.

The post How to Access Emojis in Windows the Super-Easy Way appeared first on Simple Help.

1. Start out by going to your own profile page on Instagram. Select the ‘Options’ button. In iOS this is a little ‘cog’ (screenshot below). On Android, it’s a button with 3 ‘dots’ forming a vertical line.



2. Select Comments from the Options list.



3. In the section titled CUSTOM KEYWORDS add the specific words (separated by commas) you want to block from your IG comments. There are a couple of things to keep in mind – once you add a word to this list, all comments that contain that word, no matter who leaves the comment, will be hidden. You won’t see the comment, your followers won’t see the comment – you won’t even be notified that the comment was made. So depending on the type of content you post, adding a word like “sales” may trigger too many false positives (legitimate and harmless comments that just happened to use the word sales).

   When you’ve added your custom keywords, tap Done



4. Another option to block spam is to use Instagram’s built in filter, which can be found just above the CUSTOM KEYWORDS section. It’s important to note that this filter may contain words you don’t want blocked. It’s a primary focus is to block profanity, slurs, and other inappropriate content. If you want to keep your account completely family friendly, you can enable this feature by toggling Hide Inappropriate Comments to ON.

The post How to Automatically Block Spam Comments on Instagram appeared first on Simple Help.

While Instagram themselves do not offer RSS feeds, another service (websta.me) has figured out a way to do it for you. Simply add the following RSS feed address to your favorite RSS Reader:

https://websta.me/rss/n/USERNAME

and replace USERNAME with the Instagram account name. For example, to make a feed for the instagram account “TheWarrenHaynes”, the address would be:

https://websta.me/rss/n/TheWarrenHaynes

Then you’ll have an RSS feed of that Instagram account, complete with photos, captions etc.

The post How to Create an RSS Feed from Instagram appeared first on Simple Help.

Using the free and fantastic web service Ifttt, you can set up an “Applet” that will automatically post your Instagram photos to Twitter, but instead of just tweeting a link back to Instagram, it takes your IG photo and tweets it properly – as a photo! (see screenshot below). It’s easy and fast to set up, and best of all it’s a “set it and forget it” applet, everything is done automatically for you.

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1. To get started, head over to the Ifttt home page (link opens in a new tab/window) and click the Sign up button in the upper-right corner. The signup process is quick and painless (and again, this is a free service).
2. Now that you have an Ifttt account, enable this Applet by toggling the switch to On



3. Ifttt needs permission to access your Instagram and Twitter accounts, so click the Ok button when prompted.



4. You’ll be redirected to Instagram to enable access first. If you aren’t already, sign in first and then click the Authorize button.



5. Once Instagram has been authorized you’ll be directed to Twitter, where you’ll need to authorize Ifttt. Do so by clicking the Authorize app button.



6. Finally you’ll be sent back to the Ifttt Applet page. Confirm that the Applet is now set to On



7. That’s it! Seriously, it was that easy. Launch Instagram on your phone, snap a photo, compose your caption and post it exactly as you normally would. This is important – do NOT toggle the ‘share to Twitter’ button on. Leave it off. Ifttt will be doing the magic for you.



8. Now head over to Twitter. Ta-da! There’s your Instagram photo, properly shared to Twitter! AND, there’s still a link back to the original IG post, truly the best of both worlds.


click to enlarge

9. That’s it!

The post How to Tweet Your Instagram Photos as Actual Pictures (Not Links) appeared first on Simple Help.

Sending a DM on Instagram isn’t as intuitive as it should be (our opinion) – so don’t feel bad that you needed to Google this one :)

1. To send your first DM on Instagram, take a photo as you normally would. You can apply all the same filters to “DM photos” as you can with all other Instagram posts. When you’re ready to send it directly to someone (or a group of people) – tap NEXT as usual.



2. From the Share to menu towards the top of the screen, tap DIRECT (see #1 in screenshot below). Now tap inside the Write a caption… window, and type out your message (see #2 in screenshot below).



3. When you’re done composing your message, tap OK.



4. Now scroll through your list of Instagram contacts and tap the circle next to their name so that a green “check mark” appears. NOTE: you can select more than one recipient if you want to share a message or photo with a group of people.

   When you’re ready to send the photo and message, tap SEND TO (NAME).



5. When they open Instagram, they’ll be presented with a notification on the “mailbox” icon as illustrated in the screenshot below.



6. Upon tapping that mailbox, they’ll see that a new message as been sent from you.



7. When they tap the message, it’s presented to them in the format illustrated below.



8. From here they can respond to your message.



9. If/when they do, you will have a notification icon in your mailbox.



10. The “blue bubble” (see screenshot) illustrates that the photo has been commented on (and how long ago)



11. When you tap the ‘response’ in your mailbox, you’ll be be able to view their response, and carry on the ‘conversation’ if you’d like.



12. That’s it!

The post How to Send a DM (Direct Message) on Instagram appeared first on Simple Help.

To be a bit more accurate, this tutorial will show you how to enable the Emoji “keyboard” on your iPhone – and show you how to use it. So in addition to being able to use Emojis with Instagram, you’ll be able to use them on Twitter, messaging Apps, on Facebook etc. All of this using software that’s included on your iPhone.

1. Start out by tapping the Settings button on your iPhone. Select General.



2. Scroll down to Keyboard and select it.



3. Scroll down to Keyboards – which will probably have a 1 next to it (unless you already use multiple keyboards) – and select it.



4. Tap Add New Keyboard…



5. Scroll down to Emoji and tap it.



6. You’ll be returned to the Keyboards screen. This time you’ll see at least two ‘languages’ listed. Tap the Keyboard button in the upper-left corner of the screen.



7. Make sure that there are now at least 2 Keyboards and then leave/close the Settings section.



8. Now to use Emojis! Compose a TXT/SMS, go to Facebook or as the title of this tutorial suggests – open Instagram. Compose a message as you normally would. When you’re ready to insert Emojis – tap the new “globe” icon (button) on your keyboard.



9. This will switch you from the English (or whatever language you normally use) keyboard to the “Emoji” Keyboard. As illustrated in the example image below, there are a lot to choose from. The bottom ‘toolbar’ has a series of buttons that ‘group’ certain types of Emojis into categories. Each category is ‘swipeable’ – swipe from side to side to bring up the multiple screens of Emojis.



10. Now tap one. As you can see in the example screenshot below – I tapped the “crown” Emoji, and now it’s a part of my Instagram message.



11. To switch back to your normal keyboard, just tap the Globe icon/key again.



12. Once you’ve finished composing your emoji-infused message, publish it as normal.



13. That’s it!

The post How to Add Emojis (emoticons) to Your Instagram Posts appeared first on Simple Help.

1. At this time, you can’t delete a photo you’ve shared on Instagram via the web (ie. http://instagram.com). You need to use the App itself. So launch Instagram from your Smartphone and go to your “home” screen. Locate the photo you want to delete and tap it.



2. Tap the “more” button (the one with 3 dots on it, as illustrated in the screenshot below).



3. Select Delete.



4. If prompted to confirm the deletion, tap Delete



5. That’s it – gone! Now keep in mind – for the time this photo was “up” – anyone could have downloaded it (if it was set to public). If it was set to private, any of your “Instagram” friends could have viewed and/or downloaded it. Now, it’s gone.

The post How to Delete an Instagram Photo appeared first on Simple Help.

Please note that the points discussed here provide general suggestions; for more specific information, you should read the guidelines for the community in which you want to participate.

Instant Messaging Etiquette

Don’t type in all capital letters
Typing in all capital letters on the Internet is considered rude because it is difficult to read and comes across as very aggressive (LIKE SHOUTING!). This rule of thumb is true across the Internet – not just when IM’ing. If you take away nothing from this ‘how-to’ other than knowing that typing in “caps” is widely despised on the Internet, consider it time well spent.

Try not to “pounce” other users
Pouncing” refers to sending someone an instant message immediately after that person signs on to the service. He or she may wish to perform other tasks while starting the messenger app. The person may need a few minutes to put up an “away” or “do not disturb” message, signifying that he or she doesn’t wish to engage in conversation at the moment. You should always wait a few minutes before sending someone an instant message.

Tell other users when you are away
Most instant messaging services provide a way of notifying other users that you are not responding to messages or have stepped away from the computer. Most make use of “away” or “do not disturb” messages. Another way of telling other users that you cannot answer their messages is to simply let them know in conversation that you must leave. You wouldn’t want someone to wait for your response for more than a few minutes.

Keep it casual
You may not want to use instant messaging to give someone bad news or make a major announcement. While some people may consider instant messaging similar to the telephone as a means of communication, others consider it much less formal.

Use reasonable fonts and colours
It can be very unpleasant to have to look at huge fonts or light colours while conversing on an instant messaging service. Try to stick the standard font size and colours unless you are positive that the other person doesn’t mind.

Email Etiquette

Avoid forwarding junk mail
Many folks repeatedly forward junk mail, such as “virus alerts”, chain letters and memes. Unless someone specifically tells you that he/she enjoys receiving these “forwards”, you shouldn’t send them. This is even more important if you’re emailing a co-worker.

Consider your audience
Avoid sending emails to everyone in your address book unless the information contained is vital for each and every person in it. Otherwise, these “mass emails” simply clog other people’s inboxes.

Use threads
When someone sends you an email and you wish to reply, you should always hit the “reply” button within your email client rather than beginning a new email. This allows users to keep track of the thread of conversation.

Be appropriate
What is acceptable in a casual email to a friend might not be acceptable in a work-related email. In general, for official communications, you should avoid using online abbreviations and emojis, and pay more attention to spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Use plain text
This one isn’t quite as important as it once was, since almost all email apps are HTML-enabled. But if it’s a professional email, you may want to consider sending it in plain text rather than HTML.

Avoid sending large attachments
Unless specifically directed to do so, may not want to send large attachments to your email contacts. Not everyone has a connection that’s as fast as yours, and large attachments can take a long time to download for some people.

Message Board/Forum Etiquette

Don’t spam
Within the context of message boards, “spamming” can refer to repeatedly posting the same message. This is considered poor etiquette and will usually result in the spammer’s removal from the forum or group.

Don’t be a troll
A “troll” refers to someone who enters a forum purely to flame or annoy other participants. “Trolling” is not acceptable in online communities and can result in one’s being banned from the forum or board. A troll can also refer to someone who has multiple usernames on the same forum.

Stay on topic
When you submit an off-topic post to a thread, it detracts from the discussion at hand. If you wish to discuss a new topic, you begin a new thread.

Try to spell correctly and use proper grammar
You should make every effort to spell correctly and use proper grammar within forums and discussion groups. If a post is incoherent, moderators and administrators may delete it.

Don’t get too carried away “flaming”
“Flaming”, within the domain of online communities, refers to heated exchange on a message board or in a chat room. In general, flaming is permissible only when it does not involve ad hominem attacks on other participants in the forum.

Chat Room Etiquette

Think before you speak
When entering a chat room – public or private, you should wait a few minutes before typing in order to get a feel for the flow of conversation. This way, you won’t say anything that is completely off-topic, which would detract from the conversation.

Refrain from profanity/offensive language
Don’t type anything in a chat room that you wouldn’t ordinarily say in public. Offensive language does nothing to enhance a chat room experience, and is usually strictly moderated.

What is spamming?
In the context of chat rooms, spamming refers to typing the same thing repeatedly. This annoys other chatters and will usually result in your ejection from the chat room.

Avoid typing long messages
No one wants to have to scroll through more than five lines to get to the comment after yours. If you have something long to say, try to break it up into smaller pieces or send it as a private message.

The post How to be Polite While You’re Online (Netiquette) appeared first on Simple Help.