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Instagram for Android Now Available

 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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Popular photo-sharing app Instagram is now available for Android devices.

The company quietly released the new version of the app today, adding a "Get it on Google Play" link next to the App Store download option without much fanfare.

"Fast, beautiful photo sharing now for Android," Instagram said.

The release comes several weeks after Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom tipped its arrival at last month's SXSW conference in Austin. At the time, the app was not quite ready for primetime, but Systrom said that "in some ways, it's better than our iOS app. It's crazy."

The Android app is available for free on Google Play, formerly known as the Android Market.

The app description says it will work with devices running Android 2.2. Instagram promised custom-designed filters and borders, front and back camera support, the new Lux photo-editing feature, and instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Foursquare. Flickr support is coming soon, Instagram said.

Instagram for iPhone debuted in October 2010, and let users add different custom filters to photos in order to change the colors, mood, border, and tonality of their snapshots. It hit 1 million users after just three months.

In February, Instagram released an update that, among other things, simplified the interface and added the Lux feature. In an effort to avoid the privacy snafu faced by Path, meanwhile, Instagram also recently updated its iOS app to require users to give the app permission to upload their contact lists.

For more, see PCMag's full review of Instagram for iPhone and the slideshow below.


 

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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