Instagram Launches New App Called Layout

The stand-alone app is a boon to Instagram users and a harbinger of doom for app developers.

If you’re a fan of Instagram, then you’ve probably used collage apps like InstaCollage and Framatic, two of many collage apps designed for the popular photo-sharing social network. Now, Instagram is making a similar app of its own, dubbed Layout, launching on the App Store today. The new app is bad news for the developers of the collage apps and good news for avid Instagram users.

Announcing Layout on its official blog, the Facebook-owned company said that it was inspired after seeing the vast collage of photos shared daily on the social network. With Layout, visual storytelling is easier and more creative. Instagram is planning to bring the app to Android in the coming months. Apple users, however, can download the app from the App Store.

Layout is easy to use. After installing it, choose the preferred layout and select the photos to be added from the camera roll. The app also has a feature called Faces, which displays photos with people on them. The idea is to automatically add photos of yourself and your friends, without browsing through hundreds of photos. A feature called Photo Booth functions as a camera app that captures photos without leaving the app. There’s a reason why Instagram is one of the hottest social networks today.