Instagram has been for the most part a mobile phenomena. It hits the world as a photo-centric social network originally only accessible via an iPhone. Recently it was opened up to the Android universe and the number of users jumped by the millions.
Still, Instagram is only available on a mobile device. If you want to go to the homepage on your desktop or laptop, you’re faced with a simple home screen forwarding you to the two app stores.
Since this is an issue for many who would like to view Instagram photos in large size on their desktops, it is no surprise that third-party web tools start appearing, making viewing photos on desktop possible. One of the best among them is Westagram. From Webstagram’s site, you can view photos, like and comment on them, follow or unfollow other users and even browse the popular photos section.
Getting started with Webstagram
Head on over to web.stagram.com to get started. In the upper right hand corner of the front page, there is a small field for you to enter your Instagram username. It only asks for your username because after authorizing the web app, that’s all you’ll need
After you enter your username you’ll be forwarded to the beginning of Instagram’s authorization process. Here you’ll be asked for your username and password. Notice that the address in the web address bar is actually the Instagram domain.
The next screen will show you exactly what you are authorizing the web app to do with your Instagram account.
The authorization process should look familiar if you use third party apps for other social networking services such as Twitter or Facebook. After the authorization process is finished, signing in and out of Webstagram in the future should be a lot easier.
What can you do with Webstagram?
You can do with Webstagram pretty much anything you can do with the Instagram app, short of posting photos. Seriously, you can view everything from your feed to the popular photos section. You can comment and like other photos and even run powerful searches.
Westagram does offer a few tools (“tools” link on homepage) unique to the service that you may find interesting.
Follow Me Button
If you run a blog or website, you may be interested in giving your readers the ability to quickly and easily find your Instagram account from your site. Webstagram offers a quick bit of iframe code for easy inclusion in your sidebar or site. After copying and pasting the code, just replace the “USER__NAME__HERE” with your user name.
Search.Stagram
Webstagram also offers a page to run Instagram searches from called Search.Stagram. I’m not sure of the difference between it and the search box in the upper right of every other page on the site but perhaps it runs a deeper search from actual pictures instead of just tags and users.
One last trick Webstagram offers is the Photo of the Day link. It’s a contest of sorts where you can tag your best photos with #photooftheday and it’ll be entered. One photo each day is highlighted so it sounds like quite the honor.
Webstagram claims to be the best online Instagram viewer and it really is quite the tool. If you find yourself on a computer much of the day and want to view that Instagram stream life-sized, give Webstagram a try!
Tim loves to write about tech related stuff. He runs AndroidTipGuys.com but you can also find him occasionally blogging at his personal blog, timmyjohnboy.com.
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox
