Instagram unveils Apple Watch app as first step into wearables

The social network is now in the process of creating its first application compatible with smartwatches.

Instagram has now announced that it is developing a new Apple Watch app that would provide its users with an alert as soon as there is a picture posted by someone that they know.

The Facebook owned image based social network will now be providing a simpler alert system for users.

The idea is to make it possible for the wearers of the smartwatch to use this Apple Watch app to keep up with what their closest friends are doing. It will let them know when a picture has been posted so that they can view it and respond as they’d like. This represents the first time that Instagram has ever made an entry into the world of wearable technology. Until now, it has kept itself well away from wearables, including the number of other smartwatches that are already on the market, and headsets such as Google Glass.

That said, due to the image based nature of Instagram, the Apple Watch app had to be created with care.

After all, the social network is meant for pictures and the Apple Watch has a tiny little screen. This caused the developers of the app to have to completely rethink the way that it would function. According to Ian Silber, a designer at Instagram, it was key for them to come up with “the simplest feed we could think of.” He also went on to add that “I think the watch is really about quick information and notifications. With the Watch, it’s about thinking about interactions in terms of seconds.”

Apple has established very solid rules with regards to the way that it will allow apps to be created for its smartwatch. For example, it has restricted the types of tools that third party developers can come up with through the use of its tools (the Watchkit). For example, the developers at Instagram attempted to transfer the double-tapping an image feature from its smartphone application in order to “like” that image through the Apple Watch app. However, that is not a feature that the Watchkit has to offer.