Instagram Introduces Photo Editing

Instagram (NASDAQ:FB) fans rejoice, the app now lets users edit photos. Once limited to photo filters, the social media app now has tools to adjust contrast, saturation, warmth and more.

Instagram, which was purchased by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012, has been known for its simplicity. The app lets users upload photos and then instantly adjust the color in a preset design.

In a world where people are looking to perfect their “selfies,” the app store is saturated with camera apps that enable advanced editing. Incorporating these features into Instagram may help the app continue to stand out amidst increased competition.

“Inspiring creativity is incredibly important to us -- and as the Instagram community grows, we’ve been excited to hear requests for more ways to creatively take hold of how your photos look and feel,” the company said in a statement.

Launched in 2010, Instagram has grown to 200 million monthly active users. About 20 billion photos have been shared on the site, with 60 million being posted daily.

The last time Instagram made a significant update to its services was in December 2013, when it introduced “Instagram Direct” for private messages. Instagram has made few functionality changes to its services.

Instagram was founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif.

Facebook shares are up 158% in the past year, in part because it has increased its dedication to mobile. Shares closed Thursday at $62.87.