If you want to grow Instagram followers and gain fame on the social network, you need to equip yourself with a variety of tools beyond the basic app. The good news is that most of these power tools for Instagram are free.
Instagram enforces restrictions on its users in how they can use the app. That’s why you need to turn to third-party apps to circumvent annoyances like bulk downloading someone’s photos and videos, or apps to repost photos and videos. In that same vein, try these others that break the Instagram bubble to make you stand out.
1. Splitagram (Web): How to Split a Photo for Instagram Profile Grid
This is a popular trend among Instagram users. You don’t upload the full photo, instead, you break it up into smaller squares and upload them all. For someone to look at the full picture, they need to go to your profile to look at the full feed, which creates a collage out of the grid. It’s a smart way to get people to visit your profile page.
Splitagram makes it easy to create such collages. The web app works perfectly on phones. Upload an image from your phone’s gallery or camera roll, and Splitagram will automatically split it into three columns, and possibly multiple rows if required. You’ll see a preview of what the final image will look like.
Then, follow Splitagram’s on-screen instructions to get the right order to upload them. Go step-by-step and share each image as instructed to your Instagram feed. It’s dead simple and one of the best free web apps to break Instagram’s restrictions.
2. Koel (Web): Turn Tweets Into Instagram Posts
If you saw a great tweet that you want to share on your Instagram feed, don’t just take a screenshot. Twitter’s design looks odd in Instagram, you need to give that tweet a bit of an Instagram makeover. Koel will do that for you.
Copy-paste the tweet into Koel and wait for it to load. You can then change the Twitter view between default, dim, and lights out. You can also choose to show or hide the reply, likes and retweet counts, or even give a different color for all three. And finally, you can add a background color (solid or gradient) to make it better suited for Instagram.
Once you’ve customized the image to your liking, download it, and then upload it to Instagram. You have to admit, it looks much better than a regular Twitter screenshot.
3. Vurku (Web) and Downloader for Instagram (Chrome): How to Download All Images or Videos of an Instagram User or Hashtag
Instagram has an easy option to download and save all your own photos, sending you an email with all your data. But if you want to download images and videos of other users or a hashtag, the easier options are Vurku and Downloader for Instagram.
Of the two, Downloader for Instagram is the better tool, but it’s only available as an extension for Chrome on desktop. After installing it, you’ll see a Download button when you hover the mouse over any picture. You can also click the extension icon for options to bulk download photos and videos from the user account.
Vurku is a similar web app, which works with both users and hashtags. You’ll need to register to use it, and the free version has a few limits: 50 posts per search, three searches per day, and five downloads per day. It also watermarks all the downloaded images. The paid version removes all these restrictions and would be a better option than Downloader for Instagram for professionals. The tool adds the ability to export to Excel, and save all captions and hashtags too.
Download: Downloader for Instagram for Chrome (Free)
4. Insta Tools (Android): All-in-One App for Common Instagram Tools
Instagram users have a few tasks that they need to commonly do. For example, you might want to download Stories or videos, get hashtags that will make the post popular, type captions in custom font styles, etc. Insta Tools is the Swiss Army knife for all these actions.
It includes:
- Save HD Profile Picture (Public as well as Private accounts)
- Save Multiple photos, videos, stories, and highlights
- No Crop Feature with blur, fill background, and rotate options.
- AI recommended hashtags of photos
- Extract text from any image
- Turn captions into custom fonts
- Ready-to-use captions for inspiration
- No login required (in most of the features)
The app is free and doesn’t even bug you with a ton of ads. It also shows up as a “Share To” option when you’re browsing Instagram, so it’s easier to act on any post.
Download: Insta Tools for Android (Free)
5. StoryScroll (Windows, macOS): Turn Web Pages Into Scrolling Videos for Stories
You can’t post links on Instagram unless you have a verified account with 10,000 followers. So how do you promote your own web pages and other content? StoryScroll is a smart way of using Instagram Stories to showcase auto-scrolling videos.
Here’s how it works. Download and install the software, and then past a URL into it. Click “Make Videos” and wait for StoryScroll to generate multiple videos of that link. These include videos for both Stories and regular posts, but it does take some time. Once it’s ready, transfer the data to your phone and share it on Instagram.
The free version won’t let you add text or change the watermark, but that’s available in the premium version if you feel it’s worth paying for.
Download: StoryScroll for Windows | macOS (Free)
6. 1stagram (Web): Find Any User’s First Instagram Post (and Learn Instagram History)
If you’re about to create a new Instagram account, then learn from the best about how to make an impact with your first post. 1stagram is a fun little app to find the first post from any user on the social network. If you ever wondered what Kim Kardashian, Christiano Ronaldo, or anyone else posted the first time they jumped on Instagram, just type their username and 1stagram will find it for you.
The app also includes a visual timeline history of Instagram. From its launch in 2010 to the launch of Instagram Reels in 2020, you’ll find all the highlights of the journey.
Be Creative and Don’t Buy Followers
The Zeroth rule of Instagram today is not to buy fake followers. You will find so many people on the internet selling you ways to increase your follower count by paying a small fee. It’s a short-term scam, these bots and fake accounts are usually hunted and removed by Instagram eventually.
Instead, tools like those in this article will help you better understand the Instagram ecosystem and carve your own space in it. If you want to be noticed, be creative about it. There are no shortcuts, don’t buy into that myth.