On 1st June 2016, Instagram released an API update. Now, this is a big change as the update now requires that all apps and users to be approved by the Instagram API team before they can have access. This means your Instagram app will not work anymore and you no longer have access to public content from Instagram.
However, before we find a solution to counter the situation, it is very important to understand why the update was done.
Instagram API Changes: A Summary
Why Instagram did this?
There are many reasons for Instagram to do this. Majorly, they wanted to remove all the inappropriate and unwanted activity from Instagram. It was also expected to restrict the fake traffic on Instagram. Thus, they wanted to limit third party developers and to stop the abuse of its API. It only wants to give access to appropriate users and use cases and maintain the quality of the platform by removing spam.
When did the update happen?
The update was enforced from 1st of June 2016 and then all the apps that were created before 17th November were pushed into sandbox mode. To go live they have to go through a detailed submission process.
How to get the approval?
To counter the restriction of Instagram and in order to go live, all the apps will have to undergo a review submission process. The review submission process is a virtual review application that consists of a video description of the application and its details. The application process would not take more than 2 hours, and you can expect the result of validation from the human analyst at Instagram in 24-48 hours.
Though the process does not take long, the validation success rate is quite low. Lately, many developers reported their applications to be refused. the reasons for rejection for most of the cases was inappropriate definitions of Use-Case.
Best tip to get the approval is to ensure you have a valid use case and a robust application. You need to justify your use case and ensure that the application serves the purpose. Then, just send it across to the Instagram team with a well-explained video and wish for some good luck 🙂
An alternative way to get Instagram API
The best alternative solution is to get in touch with approved third party API providers. It saves you time, frustration and uncertainty.
Get in touch with Taggbox. We are a trusted social media aggregator used globally by brands of all size – Big or Small. Taggbox is an approved Instagram API provider and thus you can continue to aggregate your #Hashtag again or for that matter any hashtag, location or profile contents using our API. Not only Instagram rather you can combine Instagram feeds with feeds from other 10+ social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. or replace Instagram API search, by directly accessing the data via JSON and XML format.
We perfectly replace the Instagram API by proving you the requested data in JSON or XML Formats.
Taggbox is the trusted social media aggregator powering thousands of brands and users across the globe. We help B2B users leverage the power of Instagram API and amplify their marketing efforts.
You can do this all in just a few simple steps and without having to bother about permission, restriction, approval and other roadblocks. So what are you waiting for?