Instagram used to be a simple platform - you could open it, browse more photos, maybe like some of them and then close them.

What used to be just a stream of your friends' photos has gradually turned into a collection of auto play videos and advertised content, followed by an endless amount of algorithmically modified nonsense. Now Instagram is even trying to shake the mix with a TikTok clone.

This is because the company Meta, which is behind Facebook and Instagram, has a fondness for your eyes. The amount of time you spend scrolling and interacting - sharing, commenting, liking, watching a video to the end, or better yet buying something directly from the platform - means more money for them. In order to do this, they need to communicate with you, so apps that start cleanly and easily are usually full of different content, bright red notification icons, and different widgets. All in such a way as to attract your eye as much as possible.

If you like the new features of Instagram, I'm not here to take it from you. But if, like me, you find it all a bit tedious, I'll come up with a solution:

A web version Instagram as before

Most Instagram users probably only have access to the web version of the platform on their computer, but you can also access it on mobile devices. Just go to Instagram.com in your browser, log in and start scrolling.

There are all the photos of your friends and you will soon notice that the algorithmic sorting of Instagram has not been done here yet, so you can sort as good days in reverse chronological order. Even better - there are no ads or suggested posts on the web version of Instagram. The videos do not play automatically, but you can watch one of them by clicking the play button. You can only see photos, clips, and stories of people watching you, and nothing else. Instagram also recently added the ability to upload photos and stories from the web, which means you no longer need to install the app to have a fully usable account.

But not everyone is perfect. Sometimes scrolling Instagram for the web can be awkward, as mobile interfaces always do. And if you completely forget the application, you will not receive any notifications. Some will see it as a supplement, but others will understand that it is a deal breaker. Instagram for the web is a solution for iPad users

However, users can install the iOS application. However, this means that you can use or zoom in on a smaller version of the application. Because the aspect ratio on iPhones is different from that on iPads, the tablet can automatically change the width by adding black bars to the right and left sides of the screen. And as the device zooms in to fill the screen, the picture look blur. Given the iPad's large, high-resolution display for some reason, it's obviously far from ideal. Here comes the web version to save the situation. Instagram for the web is optimized for your chosen browser and allows iPad users to scroll across the platform while enjoying large, high-resolution images. This is a good way to scroll.

How to add the Instagram web application to your home screen

Another disadvantage of stopping Instagram is that you can't get an easily accessible icon on the home screen. Fortunately, there is a solution. On iOS or iPadOS, open Instagram in Safari and click the Share button to the right of the address bar. Scroll down and tap Add to Home screen. The Instagram logo icon appears on the home screen. It's the same as the app icon, but tap it to open the web version.

On Android, open the Chrome webpage, tap the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner of your browser, and tap Add to Home screen. You will be prompted for instant access - "Instagram" will be set by default, but you can enter what you want. To finish, tap Add, and as in Pixel, tap Add to Home screen again in the next menu. Adds another Instagram icon that you can move at any time and click to open the Instagram website.