Instagram gets an upgrade; find out what's new

Instagram, the popular image-sharing social network owned by Facebook Inc., got rid of its vintage camera logo and redesigned its mobile apps with a simpler user interface.

It launched the new-look as it tries to move away from being seen purely as a photo app.

The rebooted brand identity embraces the flat logos, gradient colors and minimalist design ethos that had been embraced by tech-giants all over the world.

They bid goodbye to the brown Polaroid-esque square on Tuesday.

The same look applies to its Hyperlapse, Boomerang, and Layout apps as well, tying all four apps together.

Users will also notice the familiar blue backdrop is changing to white.

As for Instagram's iOS and Android apps themselves, the interface changes are purely cosmetic.

There are no new features or filters. Every button, menu and option is in the same place as before. The difference? The blue and black bars that made up Instagrams menus in the past are gone. Instead, there are plain white backgrounds, with minimalist black text and buttons.

The colourful icons are supposed to represent Instagram’s diverse community, which it says brings all sorts of life and color to the platform.

"Color has always been a huge part of Instagram — you see it in the classic app icon, filters, and the community’s photos and videos,” Ian Spalter, Head of Design at Instagram, wrote in a Medium post.

Over the next few months, users will be able to record and share video clips up to 60 seconds long, which trumps the 15 seconds currently offered.

Announcing the update with its own 60-second video, Instagram said: 'We want to bring you fun, flexible and creative ways to create and watch video on Instagram.

'As part of our continued commitment, you'll soon have the flexibility to tell your story in up to 60 seconds of video.

'This is one step of many you'll see this year.

'In the last six months, the time people spent watching video increased by more than 40 per cent.

'And longer videos mean more diverse stories from the accounts you love, whether it's Selena Gomez hanging out with friends or beauty star Bretman Rock's latest makeup tutorial.'

Some users have been able to share longer videos since the beginning of last month, but it will be a full blown feature for everyone in the coming months.

More than 80 million photos and videos are now shared every day on Instagram.

It has 400 million users and overtook Twitter back in 2014.

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