Apple launched its official @apple Instagram account on Monday, wherein the account features a series of photo sets comprised of iPhone photographers’ work. Each album asset is actually a video slideshow of a photographer’s work with an accompanying sound clip of her or him talking about the subject matter. Apple encourages other Instagram users to participate through the hashtag “#ShotoniPhone.”
The company currently maintains multiple verified Instagram accounts, including one for Apple Music, iTunes, Beats 1, iBooks, Carpool Karaoke, and Planet of the Apps. Apple has yet to create an account to highlight iPhone photography, which represents a heavy segment of Apple’s marketing efforts via its “Shot on iPhone” campaign on billboards.
Apple may have waited until now to launch its official account given past tension between the company and Instagram. Phil Schiller, the company’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, deleted his Instagram account in 2012 after the app launched on Android. Schiller stated at the time that it actually had nothing to do with Android and rather with the idea that the platform got too big for his liking, even after Apple named it the app of the year in 2011.
Instagram currently boasts 700 million monthly active users across the iOS and Android platforms.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.