Changes to Meta's developer tools are impacting third-party consumer apps that previously integrated with Instagram. Among the apps affected by the change are Match-owned dating apps Tinder and Hinge, which allow users to link their Instagram profiles to their accounts. , were able to display their posts to potential matches.
Day One, a journaling app acquired by WordPress.com owner Automattic in 2021, also lost important functionality due to this change. The company announced Friday that it will no longer have the ability to import users' Instagram photos and posts into their diary due to changes that affect the ability of developers to access Instagram data programmatically.
Meta first announced earlier this fall that it would be closing access to the Instagram Basic Display API on December 4, 2024. This allowed third-party consumer apps to connect to a user's Instagram account and access content such as the user's profile. Images, videos, albums.
Developers were asked to switch to the Instagram API instead to avoid service interruptions, but as Day One points out, these new APIs only work with Instagram business accounts and not with personal accounts. It doesn't work. It also doesn't offer the functionality that Day One previously required to import Instagram content into your journal.
As a result, Day One users will no longer be able to automatically import content from Instagram, but they will still be able to access existing diary entries that include Instagram photos.
This feature was previously a selling point for the premium version of Day One, which is billed at $34.99 per year.
“We understand this news is disappointing,” the company said in a blog post. “At Day One, we are focused on making journaling as seamless and meaningful as possible, and Instagram integration was a helpful way to bring memories into your journal. “It's a popular feature that allows you to keep a diary. We know that many people rely on this tool, and it was a favorite among our team.”
Other services that were using deprecated APIs include Discord, which previously suspended its Instagram connection due to lack of API support. Other affected apps include Spotlight and SnapWidget, which include Instagram posts as embeds on websites. (The latter recommends users switch to a business account.)