Whenever an app on my iPhone doesn’t work, I tend to open it and close it over and over again to try to will it back to life. If that doesn’t yield results, I tend to stare at my device and attempt to burn an imaginary hole through it with my annoyance. Yet, I have never been filled with “rage” about an app not working, much less driven to shake it to release said rage. Things are a-changing, though, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri cheerfully announced the platform’s new “rage shake” feature on Twitter on Wednesday, which he says will allow users to report problems they’re experiencing with the app with just a shake. Mosseri said that rage shakes will help the company prioritise bugs and other things to fix in Instagram.
Covering ✌️ this week:
– Carousel Deletion (finally!)
– Rage ShakeDid you know about these 💎s? Any other features you’d like me to cover? Let me know 👇 pic.twitter.com/Yx0q4UGFfb
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) November 17, 2021
“Have you ever used Instagram and it just wasn’t working like it was supposed to?” Mosseri asked in his Twitter video. “Maybe Stories didn’t load, maybe the audio wasn’t working, maybe you just couldn’t upload a photo and it was just getting really getting you, really just pissing you off? Well now, you can literally shake the phone and a little option will come up that allows you to report a problem.”
In response to the questions posed above, yes, Instagram has at times not worked for me. It has sometimes frustrated me. I did not rage, but rather proceeded to open another app, such as Instagram’s feared rival TikTok, or do something else, like make a cup of tea.
In addition, Mosseri also unveiled carousel deletion. He called this a “finally feature,” or a feature that users have been wanting for a while and should have been around earlier. Now, instead of deleting entire carousels because of one bad photo, Instagram will allow users to delete that photo “maybe you’re not into” anymore.
All you need to do is click on the three dots on the top right-hand side of your carousel, hit “edit” (not delete), and swipe to the photo you want to delete. From there, click on the little delete button on the upper left-hand side of that photo. Using the feature appears easy, although I can also see loads of people (myself included) accidentally deleting carousels by clicking “delete” first.
While I don’t think the ability to edit a carousel is going to cause any damage, I do sincerely worry about this new rage shake feature.
“Rage” is a strong word, specifically referring to “violent and uncontrolled anger,” according to Merriam-Webster. Thus, encouraging users to shake their phones with rage could lead to unintentional accidents, such as a broken phone or an injured person. I’m not sure any insurance will buy the “I broke my phone because Instagram told me to rage shake it” excuse (although I may be wrong, please let me know in the comments). And God protect the poor person on the receiving end of your rage-filled flying phone.
Meanwhile, I really doubt Instagram will buy you a new phone if you break it while rage shaking, even though it was in service to the company. I also doubt the company will take care of the possible medical bills for the person hit by your raged-filled phone. Does this mean I think it’s a bad idea? No. It could actually be a good way to get things fixed faster. But the name “rage shake” just fills me with anxiety, and a little bit of fear.
All I can say is: Beware.
Instagram’s rage shake feature is currently available on iOS and Android in the U.S. only. Carousel deletion is available on iOS and will come to Android soon.