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How to find hidden filters on Instagram Stories

Four filters you didn’t know about

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Instagram initially announced the first batch of camera effects on Instagram Stories in June, with filters designed by Ariana Grande, BuzzFeed, and the NBA. You won’t really see any follow-up from the company, unless you’ve been following certain brands and celebrities.

Here we’ve collated the branded filters on Instagram Stories you might want to try. Apologies for the barrage of selfies you’re about to see!

1) Gucci Beauty

Gucci Beauty recently launched its Instagram account and unlike most makeup and cosmetic brands wherein you see flatlays, selfies, or product shots, its initial posts are art pieces featuring women of different ethnicities from different time periods. A full week after, Gucci Beauty rolled out its filters where you can choose from three portrait looks that take after the renaissance and baroque era.

Activate the filter on your Instagram Stories by following @guccibeauty.

2) adidas Originals

This filter will instantly take you back to the 90s the same way adidas Originals has been bringing back iconic silhouettes from the past like the Continental 80 and Falcon. It adds a vaporwave feel to your videos, and raising your eyebrows triggers an old TV-like glitch that also briefly shows a pattern of the adidas Originals logo. It’s perfect for when you want your stories to have that amateur camcorder feel, sans the timestamp.

Activate the filter on your Instagram Stories by following @adidasoriginals.

3) Off-White

Streetwear label Off-White is now a step closer to bringing its runway shows to more people. Designer Virgil Abloh says that it’s always been his challenge to think of more ways to make fashion shows less exclusive. Rolling out the filter before its show at Paris Fashion Week allows users to virtually try on the new sunglasses from its SS19 collection. And yes, the filter also includes Abloh’s signature quotes in Helvetica.

Activate the filter on your Instagram Stories by following @off____white (that’s four underscores).

4) Kylie Cosmetics

Another brand taking advantage of camera effects on Instagram Stories is Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Jenner’s beauty empire. You can now try seven of her famous lip kits and glosses to see which shade suits your skin tone before buying them — something we wish we could do with any lipstick, really. The filter also adds eyelash extensions, applies concealer and foundation to hide your pores, as well as a bit of blush for a fully made-up look.

Activate the filter on your Instagram Stories by following @kyliejenner (NOT @kyliecosmetics).

TIP: If you don’t feel like following these accounts but want to keep using the filters, you can also permanently add them — until Instagram takes them down completely — by tapping “Try it” whenever they appear on your friends’ Stories.

Do you know of any hidden filter we didn’t include here? Let us know in the comments below.

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New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

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New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

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Disney+ might get always-on channels similar to cable TV

Featuring content from Marvel, Star Wars, and classic Disney

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Disney+ | Disney Plus

The burden of choice on streaming platforms is real. If you’re like us, you’ve spent hours just mindlessly scrolling through titles on Netflix or Disney+ without watching anything. Netflix, at least, has a Play Something button to fight off that irresistible urge. Now, Disney+ is reportedly trying something different: always-on channels.

If you already cut cable from your lives, you’re likely missing traditional channels or networks that have pre-determined programming. It was a flawed system that eventually ended up with mediocre content and a downpour of ads. However, cable did allow us to keep watching without deciding what comes next.

Now, according to The Information, Disney+ is working on adding those channels to its streaming service. Naturally, these channels will include content from the platform’s library such as Marvel, Star Wars, and its list of classic animated films.

Strangely, the reported feature might still have ads in between programs. Though the addition of ads does mean a better similarity with real television, users still have to be paying subscribers to access the channels. Even if you’re already paying for Disney+, you might still get hit with ads.

Disney has not confirmed the reports yet. The platform might launch a version of the feature outside of the scope included in this report. It’s also unknown when these always-on channels will launch.

SEE ALSO: Macross to be available on Disney+

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Google might offer satellite connectivity soon

Starting with the Pixel 9 series

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A few years ago, Apple unleashed one of the most interesting features for the iPhone today: Emergency SOS. Designed for those who like their fair bit of the outdoors, Emergency SOS allows users to contact emergency services without network coverage. Other manufacturers, however, are struggling to adopt the same feature. Now, Google might soon join Apple in providing satellite connectivity for its users.

Despite the convenience, satellite connectivity hasn’t taken off as much as the industry expected it to. For one, a network of satellites isn’t the easiest thing to maintain. Apple is still currently offering its services for free, a gamble that may or may not pay off. Now, the iPhone maker won’t be alone.

According to Android Authority, Google might start offering the same service to Pixel 9 users. Starting with this year’s upcoming flagship, the company is reportedly teaming up with T-Mobile to create satellite connectivity for its users. The telecommunications network is teaming up with SpaceX for the feature.

The same report describes how the feature might work. Once activated, the feature will ask users of their situation: is everyone breathing, are people trapped, are weapons involved, among others. The phone will then relay this information to emergency authorities for a rapid response.

Unfortunately, pricing remains a mystery. While Apple is still offering its satellite connectivity for free, other brands might put the burden of cost on the end user. Hopefully, they won’t, but a paid version is unfortunately expected at this point.

SEE ALSO: Should you be excited for Apple’s satellite connectivity?

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