Meta to let you sign up to get early access to Instagram features, recent alpha update reveals

Meta-owned Instagram seems to make it easier for everyone to sign up and get early access to Instagram features. Previously, you’d need to download the Alpha version of the app, whether it’s via Google Play Store or a third-party website.

But now, soon, there will be an option to get “early access to features” on Instagram. This option lives inside “Settings & activity” when you click on the hamburger menu on the top right of your Instagram screen. 

Trusted Instagram enthusiast & reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi shared this update on X, which seems to be hidden in Instagram v. 334.0.0.0.33 (Alpha). 

There are many ways for software makers to test out early features of their apps before they roll out globally for everyone. Microsoft infamously has a few insider channels where Windows 11 tests out its new features. These channels are accessible for everyone to sign up. 

However, some features may not be included in the “Early access to features” option. Often, app developers test new features exclusively in the beta phase before rolling them out more widely. Therefore, if you want early access to new Instagram features, it’s better to sign up as a Beta tester here.

But even then, being a tested feature does not mean it’s absolutely rolling out for the public. Instagram once tested “Flipside,” a feature that lets you create a “second account” inside your own account. But after weeks, Meta scrapped this idea, but maybe not for good because there’s still a chance of it coming back in other forms.