Instagram ‘OG App’ Takes Social Network Back To Its Good Ol’ Ad-Free Days

Remember when Instagram first burst onto the social media scene? It was simpler back then—just images, funky filters, a chronological timeline, and no advertisements.

Now, over a decade later, the application has expanded to include a growing number of promotional posts, Reels, and suggested content, which, frankly, clutter even the most curated of feeds.

A new application called OG App is promising to take Instagram back to the good ol’ days by offering users a customizable experience that does away with annoying advertisements and anything else you don’t wish to see. 

According to TechCrunch, instead of creating a whole new network, OG App just tweaks your existing Instagram feed. Users simply log into their Instagram accounts via the app, where they will see the same timeline, sans advertisements or suggested posts. 

Furthermore, the application allows users to create ‘alternative feeds’—similar to that of Twitter lists—which can then be shared with friends.

Different timelines can be curated for a variety of topics, ranging from your favorite food accounts to celebrities or retail brands, without the need to follow any of the accounts. 

More helpfully, users can choose to select these specialized feeds as the default over the usual home feed, so they can tailor their Instagram experience exactly how they want it.

More options enable users to hide any Reels, or stop updates for 24 hours to curb zombie-scrolling through Instagram. 

Speaking to the publication, the application’s creators Ansh Nanda and Hardik Patil say they want to put users, not advertisers, at the forefront of the experience; and have chosen Instagram as the first site to work on as they feel it has “the most toxic relationship” with users.

However, as Mac Observer points out, a current threat hanging over OG App is that Instagram could crack down on its API, rendering it unusable.

The founders don’t seem too worried, reporting that they’re working on new features including custom feeds with private accounts, and the ability to download stories while offline. 

For more information on how the application works, and how to download it onto your smartphone, head here. 

[via TechCrunch and Mac Observer, images via OG App]