LOOKING THROUGH THE GLASS
New photo-sharing app steps in to fill the void left by Instagram’s focus on video and shopping
WATCH out Instagram – there’s a new kid on the block.
Glass is a new photo-sharing app that was released after a lengthy beta period and much anticipation this week.
And if you have grown weary of Instagram’s clutter and constant adding of features and the complications that brings… then Glass might just bring some clarity to the situation.
It was not too long ago that Instagram boss Adam Mosseri declared that the platform – which is now more than a decade old – is ‘no longer a photo-sharing app’.
Mosseri is steering Instagram towards a future in which its main focus is video and shopping. And if that appeals to you as much as it does to me – not at all – then Glass is certainly worth a look.
As I write, access is still invitation only, but its makers say invitations are going out by the thousand to those who sign up via the app, and it won’t be too long before anyone can join in.
At the moment the app is iphone only, which is a sign of just how seriously the service’s creators are taking the whole process – they are adamant they want to do it right.
That’s why they are focusing on one platform at a time, and why, if you are used to a bloated app like Instagram, you’ll find using the device a breath of fresh air.
You will be struck by its simplicity and its beauty, but also by its attention to detail.
On signing up you’ll create your own profile with a picture and a simple bio, then be offered a long list of other users already in the community to follow, then you dive straight into the feed.
The feed is your home, and it simply shows all the photos posted by the people you follow in chronological order. No algorithmic monkey business here.
The photos are uncropped and touching any of them takes you to a view where you can see any caption the poster has added, as well as some technical details about the image – the date taken, plus the camera and lens used, aperture, shutter speed and ISO, if that detail is available.
There’s a nifty way to see this info without diving into the pic, too – a slide to the right reveals a peek at it…
There are three other tabs along the bottom of the interface – one takes you to the community, with a list of other users you might like to follow, one takes you to your own profile and images, and the other is a notification tab, which is where you’ll see if anyone has followed you or commented on one of your images.
As far as interaction with other users goes you are limited to one feature – you can comment on any photo. That’s it – no likes, no reposts, just a simple discussion tagged to each image that you can contribute too.
This simplicity is bound to change, and features will be added – a way to like photos is already in the works (although the app makers say these will only be visible to the poster, not the public community).
But each feature that is present now is so well implemented, you have to trust the makers not to bring too much complexity in the future.
They really seem to care about the experience and have no interest in pulling the kind of tricks Instagram uses to keep you scrolling.
And there’s a good reason for this – Glass is not free and does not feature advertising. You have to pay to use it.
It’s not expensive – £4.49-amonth, or £25.99-a-year, both with a two-week free trial – and it is this feature that makes all the others possible. It’s a community built for the users who pay for it to enjoy, not for advertisers to exploit.
Of course, any social app is only as good as its users. But Glass is so good in this very early incarnation it has every chance of being a welcoming home of those who have found other platforms too noisy and too complicated.