Instagram is finally ready to roll out its "Save Draft" feature to all users, following testing earlier this year.
This means that if you start a post and you lack the inspiration, you're interrupted, or you have some other reason to leave it unfinished, you can pick it up later right where you left off.
With Instagram's Save Draft, you'll be able to start crafting a post and save a copy of the changes to work on it later. The option will automatically appear when hitting the Back button in the app after starting a post. Prior to the update, hitting Back would simply discard all your edits and post altogether, but Instagram will now offer two options: Save Draft or Discard.
The Save Draft option was first spotted in July, when Instagram stated testing it. At the time, only a few users reported seeing the new option in their app. Instagram extended testing in August, rolling out the Save Draft button to more users, but it still treated it like an experiment at that point.
In other words, Instagram wanted to see how the testers would respond to the feature before deciding whether it's something worth keeping. Apparently the user base response was satisfactory and the testing went well, since the company is now rolling out Save Draft to all users. It means the feature has exited the experiment stage and is here to stay, ready for public consumption.
Trying to create a post that's just right? With the latest update, you can save as a draft & come back to it later. https://t.co/7lZ0eyNtBC
— Instagram (@instagram) September 20, 2016
To find your Instagram drafts, you'll simply need to tap the Camera icon and select Library. At the bottom, you'll see a new category called "Drafts." It's worth pointing out that you'll only see the Save Draft option if you've added filters, effects, caption or location to a photo before hitting the Back button. Otherwise, if you've made no changes to a photo, hitting Back will take you back directly.
This new Save Draft feature is a minor improvement compared to the recent Instagram text filters, but it can make a significant difference and make things notably easier. It can prove useful not only when you're interrupted, but also when you want to prepare a post in advance and publish it later. For people running a business or brand account, preparing posts and saving them as drafts for later release could be particularly useful.
The feature will start rolling out to the Android and iOS versions of Instagram soon enough, so fret not if it's not available just yet. Once you get it, make sure to tell us what you think of it.
