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Instagram 'stalker app' Like Patrol removed from Apple's App Store

App charged $80 per year to inform users every time someone liked or commented on another person’s photo

Anthony Cuthbertson

Monday 11 November 2019 19:47 GMT

Instagram and other social media apps have faced pressure concerning the potential mental health issues arttributed to use of their platforms (Getty Images)

Apple has removed an app from its App Store after Instagram claimed it enabled users to spy on each other.

Instagram sent the developers of the Like Patrol app a cease-and-desist letter in October, accusing it of violating its data collection policies.

The app, which cost users $80 per year, allowed people to receive notifications every time someone they were following liked or commented on a another user’s photo.

The service was aimed at people in relationships, with Like Patrol stating in promotional materials that it allowed Instagram users to keep tabs on their partner.

“New guy? New girl? What are they up to on Instagram? With Like Patrol you can see the posts they specifically like,” the app’s website stated.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Show all 11

1/1111 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Hide and reorder filters

Filters are a core part of Instagram, but there are so many available it can be easy to get lost. You can change the order in which they appear, and even hide the ones you never use, to speed up your photo-sharing process. On the filters page, scroll to the end, tap Manage, then drag and drop the ones you want to reorder, and un-check the ones you want to hide.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Never miss a post

Instagram controversially ditched its reverse-chronological order feed for a new order determined by an algorithm, making it easy to completely miss some posts. To make sure you never miss a certain somebody’s updates, you can set up notification for them by visiting their profile, tapping the three dots in the top right-hand corner and selecting Turn On Post Notifications.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Eat less data

If you’re worried about how much of your mobile data Instagram saps, you can limit it by sacrificing the speed at which the photos and videos in your feed load. Go to your profile, tap the three dots in the top right corner, open Cellular Data Use and choose Use Less Data.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

See your Likes

It’s easy to lose track of your friends’ old posts on Instagram, but if you know you Liked it, you’ll be able to track it down easily. Just go to your profile, hit the three dots at the top and select Posts You’ve Liked. You can also save posts in a folder only you can see by tapping the bookmark icon underneath it. Take a look at everything you’ve bookmarked by tapping the same icon that sits near the top of your profile.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Find relevant hashtags

Everyone knows you can expand the reach of your posts by using a number of relevant hashtags, but what those are aren’t always glaringly obvious. You can easily find the right ones for you by typing a keyword into Instagram’s search bar, selecting a hashtag from the list and swiping along the Related row that appears at the top of the screen.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Clear your search history

Whatever your reasons are, you can clear your recent searches by going to your profile, hitting the three dots in the top right and selecting Clear Search History. To go a step further and hide your Suggested searches too, go to the search page, tap and hold the account you want to hide, and choose Hide from the pop-up window.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Hide photos you’re tagged in

Tagged photos on Instagram aren’t as prominent as they are on Facebook, but anyone can still browse through other people’s pictures of you by visiting your profile and tapping the photo of you icon. If you’re tagged in a picture you don’t want other people to see, go to your profile, hit the photos of you icon, tap the three dots at the top of the screen and choose Hide Photos.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Secure your account

Make your Instagram account much harder to hack by enabling two-factor authentication, a security feature that protects you even if your login details are stolen. Go to your profile, tap the three dots, open Two-Factor Authentication and toggle it on.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Share lots at once

If you want to upload a bunch of related pictures and videos without flooding everyone else’s feed, you can shared them all as one post. Hit the + icon, select Gallery, choose Select Multiple, pick out up to 10 of the pictures and clips you want, tap Next and reorder them by dragging and dropping.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Record hands-free

Instagram Stories has been a massive hit since it came out last year, but you might not know that you can record Stories clips without having to hold one of your digits on the record key. On the Stores screen, just swipe through the options at the bottom until you get to Hands-Free.

11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed

Edit posts after publishing

Most people know you can delete any of the images you’ve already posted, but not everyone is aware that you can also edit them. Instagram unfortunately doesn’t let you tinker with filters and effects, but you can change your original caption, tag people and update the location.

It also claimed to be able to provide details about the gender and even the attractiveness of Instagram users that targets were interacting with.

A less intrusive version of this was available through Instagram’s official Following Tab, though this was discontinued by the Facebook-owned app last month.

Like Patrol first appeared in Apple’s App Store earlier this year and was spotted by CNet, who reported the “stalking app” to Instagram.

App founder Sergio Luis Quintero told the publication that it acted like Instagram’s “Following Tab on steroids,” though was used by less than 300 people.

Mr Quintero said his company intended to fight for the app to be reinstated to the App Store. The app does not appear on the Google Play Store and is not available for Android devices.

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