You can take a screenshot of an Instagram post or share it with friends, but until today there's been no way to save it in an easily accessible place within the app.
That all changes with Instagram's saved post feature, available today in the latest update to the photo-sharing app. Once you update, you'll see a bookmark icon underneath posts in your feed. Tapping on it will add a post to a private tab on your profile, which is only visible to you.
The fact that such a basic feature took Instagram so long to implement is a sign of the Facebook-owned company's priorities: it wants users to share, like, and comment on posts, rather than save them privately.
Still, adding the bookmark feature is an acknowledgement that to many users, Instagram is a source of creative inspiration, not unlike Pinterest. Pinterest prefers to think of itself as a "catalog of ideas," rather than a social network, and it's clear that Instagram shares that sentiment, or at least wants to capitalize on it.
"When you stumble upon a funny video you want to remember, a new outfit you like or even inspiration for an upcoming vacation, you can now keep track of favorite posts right from your profile," Instagram explained in a blog post. To see saved posts, navigate to your profile and look for the bookmark icon above your photos.
Removing the need to take a screenshot in order to save an Instagram post is also a boon for smartphone owners who find themselves perpetually out of storage space. Although screenshots are typically lower resolution than photos snapped with a camera, they can add up quickly if you hoard Instagram posts of home renovation ideas or even just celebrities eating things.