Instagram has rolled out a grab bag of features to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Not only is the platform giving users access to a stories map and special app icons, but it also introduced an anti-bullying feature to make users rethink rude comments.
Instagram Celebrates 10 Years
Instagram was officially released on October 6th, 2010, and it wants to celebrate that decade-long milestone. For starters, TechCrunch reported that the app is letting users access a calendar and map that depicts their stories for the last three years.
Instagram included a photo map of regular posts in the past, but it removed this feature in 2016. This map was publicly viewable on users' profiles.
That said, the new map isn't exactly the same as it was before. The stories map is only visible to you, and it's accessible through your Story Archive. While you won't be able to publicly display the history of your stories, it's still fun to relive the memories for yourself.
For any users feeling nostalgic, Instagram has also unveiled classic app icons. This feature is hidden inside the app, and it'll likely only be available for the month of October.
You can revert your Instagram app icon to one of the older versions by heading to your settings, and then swiping down on the screen.
Here’s a vid of the secret! 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZlRIWWa0s7
— Patrick Kosmowski (@kosmowskipat) October 6, 2020
If it works on your phone, you'll see a series of emojis, and then a message from Instagram. You can then choose from a range of app icons, including the classic Polaroid look, as well as some colorful variations of the current icon.
Instagram Wants to Combat Bullying As Well
On a more serious note, a post on the Instagram Blog revealed that Instagram is also taking steps to stop bullying on the platform. Instagram already gives warnings to users who are about to post a mean comment, but it's expanding this feature to discourage abusive comments even more.
![](https://static1.makeuseofimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/instagram-mean-comment-warning.png)
Whenever a user tries to add a nasty comment, Instagram will notify the user that too many rule-breaking offenses could result in Instagram disabling their account. While this feature doesn't remove negative comments altogether, it will at least help put a stop to some hurtful content.
Previously, Instagram's anti-bullying notification only asked the user to rethink their comment.
Instagram is also testing out a feature that automatically filters out rude comments. The platform will automatically detect when certain comments are "similar to others that have been reported" before.
![](https://static1.makeuseofimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/instagram-hidden-comments.png)
If a comment is identified as abusive, it will get hidden from view. In case you want to see which comments were removed on your post, you can always tap View Hidden Comments to look at them.
Changing Instagram for the Better
Some users might miss the app icon customization when it disappears, but at least Instagram's anti-bullying and stories mapping features are here to stay. And as you look back at all of your old stories, you can see just how far your story-creating skills have gotten.
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