Instagram kicks off new beta testing program for Android

Instagram for Android is now available in beta form. Photo: Instragram

Instagram for Android is now available in beta form. Photo: Instragram

Love sharing your snaps and getting your hands on new software before its public release? Then you’re definitely going to want to sign up for Instagram’s new beta testing program on Android, which lets you try out upcoming features long before they hit Google Play.

The testing program is designed to put new Instagram releases in the hands of a small group of users before it gets pushed out to the wider public, giving Instagram the opportunity to weed out and address bugs before they make their way into final versions of the app.

By opening the beta up to anyone, Instagram can get greater feedback for improvements. The idea is that you don’t just play around with upcoming features, but you also report any issues and glitches that you discover, too. And it’s super easy to get involved.

All you need to do to get your hands on the Instagram beta is visit the beta program page on Google Groups and tap the “Join group” button. You’ll then need to visit the testing page, where you’ll want to click the “Become a Tester” button. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to re-install or update to new Instagram betas through Google Play.

To report issues within a beta release, just tap the “Report a problem” option inside Instagram’s settings menu. You can then shake your device with the Instagram app open to report additional problems in the future.