Disappointed with the app’s current state, a group of developers decided to make their own version of Instagram that removes all the ads and lets users create their own feeds.
Reverting to Instagram’s roots, it goes by the name The OG App (opens in a new tab). It’s not a new social networking site, and you can still use features like Stories as well as the Discover page. But today, with a suite of tools and filters at your fingertips, you can regulate the type of content that appears in your Instagram feed. The developers stated in the latest report (opens in a new tab) that “users, and never advertisers, must come first with this app.”
As of this writing, The OG App has only just begun its official rollout on the Google Play Store (opens in a new tab). When you visit the Apple App Store, you will see a page that never finishes loading. You can, however, join Apple’s TestFlight program and try out The OG App’s beta version. The developer site should provide instructions on how to join in (opens in a new tab).
The developers claim that the tools and filters would let users fine-tune their Instagram profiles.
You can make new feeds that just include items from specific sources like friends, news websites, or sports activity pages. Customers might opt out of using Reels as well as the Discover page by setting filters. It’s also possible to turn off feed updates for a full day. Furthermore, as was previously said, The OG App blocks any advertisements from appearing in your feed, leaving you with nothing except the content you actually care about.
Even though we’re thrilled about the prospect of an Instagram devoid of annoying advertisements, our actual experience with it fell far short of our expectations.
The first issue is the complicated process of entering your login information into Instagram. When you first open the application, you’ll be asked to sign in with your phone number or your Google account associated with your Instagram profile. Once you’re linked, you’ll be asked to sign up again, this time with your Instagram details. After all that, we got a notice saying to try again in a few minutes, so we did. The latest update could be the cause of the mistake, but the program insisted we download it nonetheless, locking us out.
To our relief, help is on the way in the form of a repair. The developer aims to “[revamp]… the login movement that ought to cure 90% of the problems users are experiencing,” according to their official Twitter account (opens in a new tab). In addition, there will soon be additional possibilities available. The developers of The OG App are hard at work on features like shared feeds, “sharing customized feeds with associates,” as well as the ability to download Instagram Stories.
The developers have hinted on the website at their next project, which might be an app that combines multiple social media feeds (like Instagram & Twitter) into one. We contacted the team to inquire about the ETA for these updates and the new mobile app. When we do hear back, the information below will probably be current.
