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Last updated on Aug 20, 2024
Last updated on Apr 14, 2024
Instagram is a famous social media application widely used for sharing photos and videos. Creating an Instagram like application needs high effort. The article emphasizes how to build an Instagram-like application, its key features, and its technological stack.
The time and cost of creating and maintaining such an application are enormous but can be reduced with DhiWise Flutter Builder.
Want to know how?
Keep reading to know more about it.
Instagram is the world’s most popular social media platform for sharing photos and videos. The application has its own user base. The official Instagram report shows that there are 2 billion monthly active users and 500 million people use Instagram stories every day.
Instagram is considered to be the most engaging platform than other social media applications. So it is worth posting ads on it for product promotion. In the US, Instagram ad penetration is 51.4%. The UK and Canada come with 51.9% and 49.4 respectively.
Many startups, entrepreneurs, and developers are inspired by the success of Instagram. This inspiration resulted in the appearance of applications like Swipe, Snapchat, TikTok and Flicker.
Although these applications serve the same purpose of sharing photos and videos, they have different functionalities at their core.
The most successful social media applications such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter have one thing in common, each platform is dedicated to a specific user community with a common interest. Therefore, by creating an app that focuses on the specific needs of the user, other users will not overdose on irrelevant content.
The best examples here are,
The Instagram application was first created by Kavin Systrom and Mike Krieger under the name Burbn. To make the app unique, Mike focuses on the photo-sharing feature which became popular among its users. Systrom closed his first funding of $5000,000 for Burbn on 5th March 2010.
On October 6, 2010, Instagram first released its app for iOS devices, and later in 2012, a version of its app for Android phones. This new version of the Android application has been downloaded more than 1 million times in less than one day.
On April 9, 2012, Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion with the plan to keep the Instagram company independently managed.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Instagram launched a feature called “co-watching” that allows users to share posts over video calls. The idea was to encourage people to stay at home and connect with family and friends.
In March 2021, Instagram launched a new feature where four people can go live at once.
Instagram launched many other features to improve user experience and social connectivity. However, the platform has also caught the attention of entrepreneurs, business owners, and marketing specialists.
Instagram has a variety of tools such as filters, and photo editors to manipulate photos, but beyond that, it is becoming a popular branding strategy for businesses. The platform has great potential to reach a large group audience as it is more engaging.
Businesses can showcase their brand through the platform. In return, Instagram will receive a commission for every transaction made through its platform.
Now, let’s understand how to build a social media application like Instagram.
Before building an application like Instagram, know about the Instagram technology stack.
Building app MVP minimizes the risk of failure. You can launch the MVP application directly and get leads in advance to define additional development vectors.
Here is the list of features you can use in your application. Choose the features that are crucial for your target audience.
The only way to make a better application is through continuous improvement in product quality.
Once you have launched your application, try to get customer feedback and develop your application accordingly.
This initial step is crucial for building a successful Instagram-like app. It involves gathering information, understanding the market, and solidifying your idea before diving into development. Here's a breakdown of what this step entails:
1. Market Research:
Understanding the Landscape: Dive deep into the world of social media and photo-sharing apps. Analyze trends, popular features, and user engagement patterns. Look at existing apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc. Identify any gaps or limitations in the current market. This helps you tailor your app to address unmet user needs.
Target Audience: Who are you building this app for? Define your ideal user base (age, demographics, interests etc.). This understanding will guide your design choices, content focus, and overall app functionality.
2. Competitor Analysis: Learn from the successes (and failures) of existing players. Analyze what features resonate with users in similar apps.
Identify areas for improvement; are there features users dislike? Can you offer a better user experience or solve a pain point competitors haven't addressed? This analysis helps you develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What makes your app stand out from the crowd?
3. Validating Your App Idea: Before investing heavily in development, validate your app concept. This helps avoid building something users might not want. There are several ways to approach this:
Surveys: Create online surveys to gauge user interest in your app's functionalities and target features.
Focus Groups: Conduct targeted group discussions to get in-depth feedback on your app idea and potential features.
Competitor Reviews: Analyze user reviews of existing apps to understand pain points and unmet needs.
In this step, you'll design the blueprint for your app, focusing on how users will interact with it. Here's a deeper dive into the two key aspects:
1. Crafting an Appealing Design:
First Impressions Matter: In the world of social media apps, visual appeal is paramount. Users are drawn to clean, intuitive interfaces that are easy on the eye and foster engagement.
Prioritize Usability: Don't let fancy visuals overshadow usability. Your app's layout should be clear and uncluttered, with easy-to-find buttons and clear navigation elements. People should be able to intuitively discover features without getting lost.
Cohesive Brand Identity: Establish a consistent visual language that reflects your app's brand identity. This includes elements like color palettes, fonts, and iconography. Consistency builds trust and recognition for your app.
2. Wireframing and Prototyping - Refining the User Journey Before diving into complex coding, it's crucial to visualize your app's user flow. Here's how wireframing and prototyping come into play:
Wireframing: Imagine wireframes as the app's skeletal structure. These are low-fidelity mockups that focus on the layout of elements on each screen. They don't involve fancy graphics or colors, but rather represent where buttons, menus, and content will be placed. Wireframing helps you define the core functionalities and user journey within the app.
Prototyping: Once you have a solid wireframe, take it a step further with prototyping. Prototypes are interactive mockups that simulate the actual functionality of the app. Users can click through screens, interact with buttons, and get a feel for how the app will work in reality.
Prototyping allows you to gather valuable user feedback early in the development process. This helps identify usability issues and refine the user experience before investing significant resources in coding.
This is where your app idea transforms into reality! Here, we'll delve into the core development process:
1. Choosing a Technology Stack: Imagine your app as a house. The technology stack is like the building materials – the tools and resources used to construct it.
b. Cross-platform Development: Frameworks like React Native and Flutter allow you to build a single codebase that can be deployed on both Android and iOS. This saves time and resources but may have limitations in achieving a fully native look and feel.
2. Development Phases: Think of app development as a series of steps, each building upon the previous one:
Backend Development: This is the invisible backbone of your app. It handles tasks like user authentication, data storage and retrieval (e.g., user profiles, photos), and communication with external services. Languages like Python or Java are commonly used here.
Frontend Development: This is what users see and interact with – the app's interface. Developers use languages like Swift or Kotlin (for native apps) or JavaScript (for cross-platform apps) to bring the app's design to life.
API Integration: APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) act as messengers between your app and other services. These services could be social media platforms, photo editing tools, or any external data source your app needs to interact with.
This is a simplified overview. The specific development process will vary depending on the complexity of your app and the chosen technology stack.
This step brings your app to life by defining the functionalities that users will interact with. Here, we'll explore the features that are essential for an Instagram-like app, along with some advanced options to set yours apart:
1. Core Features: These features form the foundation of your app and are essential for replicating the core functionality of Instagram:
2. Advanced Features - Standing Out from the Crowd
While the core features provide a solid base, consider these advanced options to differentiate your app and enhance user engagement:
By strategically incorporating these features, you can create an app that caters to user needs while offering a fresh perspective in the photo-sharing space. Remember, the key is to find the right balance between core functionalities and innovative features to make your app stand out.
1. Rigorous Testing:
Before unleashing your app on the world, ensure it delivers a flawless user experience. Here's why thorough testing is crucial:
By investing time in thorough testing, you can ensure your app is polished, bug-free, and delivers a seamless user experience. This is critical for positive user reviews and app store success.
2. Deployment and Launch:
Now, it's time to unleash your creation! Here's a simplified overview of the app store submission process:
App Store Optimization (ASO): Optimize your app listing with relevant keywords, captivating descriptions, and high-quality screenshots to improve discoverability in app stores.
Submission Guidelines: Each app store (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) has its own submission guidelines and review process. Ensure your app complies with these guidelines before submitting.
Deployment and Launch: Once approved, your app will be available for download in the respective app store(s). Prepare a launch strategy to generate buzz and attract early adopters.
1. Marketing and User Acquisition Strategies: Your job doesn't end with launch! Here's how to attract users and build a thriving community:
2. Monetization Options: Once you have a user base, consider these potential revenue models to sustain your app:
By implementing effective marketing strategies and exploring suitable monetization options, you can ensure your app thrives in the long run. Remember, the key is to find a balance that benefits both you and your users.
Developing an Instagram like app with the basic features can take 3 to 6 months, with an approximate development cost of $ 7,750. The cost and time can be reduced by using an application development platform that accelerates the development process.
DhiWise is an intuitive and innovative platform that optimizes the process of application development with its unique features. It enables developers to build any applications faster with minimal resources.
Here are some key features that will help you to efficiently build Instagram like application:
So, if you are building a social media app like Instagram or Facebook use any of the following app design UI kits by DhiWise and customize it as per your requirements.
In this blog, we have learned about how to make an application like Instagram, its key features, technology stack, and cost of development. Also, we have seen how the process of app development can be accelerated using DhiWise with its multi-technology support and unique features.
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