Big news for publishers and Instagram: Captions on the photo-sharing platform now appear by default.
The company has been quietly rolling out a new look for embedded photos on the web since last week. In addition to a bigger, cleaner design, with a narrower bezel around the frame, captions will now automatically appear below a photo or video. Previously, embedded Instagram photos in news articles or blog sites appeared without the original caption, which limited storytelling.
Loading Happy 161st Birthday @centralpark_nyc! You're looking quite lovely today. #HBDCentralPark (Image: @tylertronson) View on Instagram@-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
There is also an option to disable that if the Instagram account owner so chooses (by un-selecting the "Include caption" option).
The news comes just one day after the photo-sharing site celebrated its fourth anniversary.
The new embed code will also include some javascript that automatically resizes the embed horizontally and vertically to fit the site's container, depending on what size mobile device you're using.
Existing embeds featured on webpages will continue to work, but it's a little glitchy out of the gate, especially when viewing on mobile. For a user to easily follow another account on a mobile device (via the Follow button on the embedded photo), he or she must be logged into the app and the mobile desktop page.
The new design makes it easier for readers to follow the Instagram account of the embedded photo's owner via a Follow button, too.
Larger photos and the addition of captions is a strategic move for Instagram. Publishers that embed photos on websites or articles, especially media outlets, will most likely be pleased with the refreshed design and thus more inclined to embed Instagram photos. Users whose photos are embedded in stories will also have an easier way to accrue followers.