Although Instagram is a mobile-only social network, the service makes an API available to developers who want to access the stream of user photos and comments. This has allowed for the creation of Instagram web and desktop viewers, including Followgram, InstaGrid, Ink361, Instagrille, Carousel and InstaDesk.
As users contemplate deleting their Instagram accounts forever, many of these sites are becoming popular destinations for those who want to preserve their photos.
Instaport's ability to offer easy-to-access archives of a user's photos is in hot demand. The site is still standing, but we've seen lots of nginx server errors and slow download times. Meanwhile, Followgram is also facing heavy user activity, which is causing slower than normal load time and access to full photo feeds.
At this point, it isn't clear if the services themselves are the bottleneck, or the API calls these services are making to Instagram's servers. Meanwhile, it's unclear what the Facebook ownership of Instagram will mean for APIs going forward.
Are you having a hard time accessing any third-party Instagram website? Let us know in the comments.