Instagram Focus Brings Portrait Mode to Photos and Videos

BY Evan Selleck

Published 10 Apr 2018

Instagram today officially announced that it is bringing the oft-requested portrait mode, which will blur the background of an image, directly into its app.

The ability to quickly and easily blur the background of an image, to make sure that what’s present in the foreground is more visible and distinct, is one feature that a lot of smartphone manufacturers are building into their phones. Portrait mode has quickly become a must-have feature. And, as such, Instagram Focus is building it right into the app.

Instagram announced the new feature today, and says it’s available for a variety of different iOS devices and Android smartphones. With it, Instagram users will be able to use the built-in camera function to take a portrait using the front- or rear-facing cameras. Instagram Focus will also make it possible to blur the background in a video.

“When you open the camera, you’ll see “Focus” next to “Superzoom” under the record button. Take a selfie or switch to the back-facing camera to find a friend. As soon as there’s someone in the shot, you’ll notice the person stays in focus while the background softly blurs — making sure they stand out in a striking way. Simply tap to take a photo or tap and hold to record a video. When you’re done, you can add creative tools like filters, stickers and text to your photo or video before sending to your friends on Instagram Direct or adding to your story.”

Instagram doesn’t go out of its way in its announcement to reveal which “select Android devices” support Instagram Focus, unfortunately. Still, the feature should be a nice addition for folks who don’t have the feature built into their smartphones.

[via Instagram]