How To Get Instagram’s New Portrait ‘Focus’ Feature

Instagram is like that friend that tells you they’ll be at the party and then they sort of just rock up late in the night unnoticed, while everyone is already off having their fun. Wanting to get in on the portrait mode phenomenon, they’ve just released a background-blurring mode they call Focus.

Here’s how to get Instagram’s new ‘Focus’ Feature.

The new feature is available for the iPhone SE, 6S and 6S Plus, 7 and 7 Plus, 8 and 8 Plus and the X, along with select Android devices (which I can confirm definitely includes the Galaxy S9+).

To take those perfect ‘bokeh’ photos, you just need to update your app via the iOS Store or the Play Store. If you have version 39 (or later) you should be able to blur backgrounds until your photography heart’s content.

You can find it by click the camera in the top left hand corner of the screen and navigating to Focus, which is behind Superzoom and Rewind (at least in my app).

I was playing around with the setting this morning – don’t worry you wont be subjected to the selfies – and I’m not sure I enjoy the focus filter all that much. It doesn’t do anything a high end smartphone cant already do better.

Like I said at the top, Instagram likes getting to a party once it’s practically over. At least they turn up though!

Of course, Instagram being a Facebook-owned company and all, it’s nice to know that they’re advanced software can detect yours and your friends faces via their app. They’ll never use that for the wrong reasons, surely.


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