What if you’re not feeling the need to show off your Instagram-dipped photos to … you know, everyone? Luckily, it’s easy to control exactly who does—and doesn’t—get to see your latest works of digital photo art by fine tuning your Instagram privacy settings.

Read on for a few beginner-focused tips on how to get the most out of Instagram without becoming an exhibitionist in the process, starting with…

1. Change the Instagram privacy settings for your photo feed

Taking a photo with Instagram doesn’t just save the image to your phone’s photo gallery. It also publishes your snapshot to your Instagram photo feed—which, by default, is wide open to anyone who cares to look.

Don’t want just anyone gawking at your Instagram pictures? If not, just turn on “Private Mode,” which blocks your Instagram photo feed from everyone except your hand-picked “followers.”

• Tap the profile button in the bottom-left corner of the Instagram interface (it’s the one that looks like a litte silhouette), then tap the Settings icon (in iOS, the one that looks like a gear, or the three-dot button for Android) in the top corner of the screen.
• Now, see the “Private Account” setting? Flip the switch to the “on” position.

All done? If so, your Instagram photos are no longer accessible to the public, nor will they show up in public searches.

Of course, all bets are off if you decide to share your Instagram shots on Facebook or Twitter, so make sure to double-check which social services are selected on the final confirmation page before tapping the “Share” button (or, in the case of Android, the blue button with the checkmark).

Speaking of which…

2. Double-check your Facebook sharing settings

Instagram makes for an easy-as-pie way to share your latest photos with your Facebook friends. Here’s a question, though: when you share Instagram photos through Facebook (which you can do by tapping the Facebook setting on the final confirmation page before posting a photo to your feed), who are your photos being shared with?

Well, there’s an easy way to check exactly how Instagram is sharing your snapshots on Facebook.

• Visit your Facebook account, click the Privacy Shortcuts (the one shaped like a padlock) in the top-right corner of the page, select Privacy Checkup, then click the blue Next Steps button.
• Find Instagram in the “Your Apps” section (assuming you’ve already connected Instagram to your Facebook account), then check its privacy setting (anything from “Public” to “Only Me”). Want to make a change? Just select a new setting from the pull-down menu.

3. Block random followers

As with Twitter, anyone on Instagram can follow the photo feed of anyone else—including you—unless their profiles are set to “private.”

Let’s say, though, that a few strangers managed to follow your Instagram photos before you set your account to private mode. Now what?

If you don’t want randow followers checking out your snapshots, you can always just block them.

• First, head to your profile by tapping the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Now, see where your number of Instagram followers is listed? Tap the number, and you’ll arrive at a list of all the Instagram users following your photo feed.
• See anyone you don’t want thumbing through your photos? Tap their name to view their profile, then tap the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner of the screen.
• A pop-up window will appear with a few options, including “Block User.” Tap “Block User,” and clang! No more peeking at your Instagram photos for them.

4. Edit your profile

Your fellow Instagram users (well, the ones you don’t already know in real life, anyway) only know as much about you as you reveal in your Instagram profile.

Indeed, the only detail you need to reveal in your profile is your Instagram user name—which could be anything, really.

To update your Instagram privacy settings — go to profile, tap the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the page, tap the Edit Your Profile button, then add—or delete—any personal details you like.

5. Wipe photos off Instagram’s photo map

Instagram boasts a nifty feature that pins any photos you choose to a “photo map” that’s viewable from your profile.

Snap the vista from, say, the top of the Empire State Building, and other Instagram users will see it pinned to a map of midtown Manhattan, if you so choose.

It’s a neat feature for showing your friends where you trekked on your vacation, but you might want to think twice before sharing your home address—or the location of your friends’ homes, for that matter.

Before sharing a photo on Instagram, take note of the “Add to your Photo Map” setting on the final confirmation page, then ask yourself: do you really want the location of your photo pinpointed on a map?

If not, make sure the “Add to your Photo Map” setting is switched off.

OK, but what if you’ve already posted a stack of Instagram photos on your photo map? Never fear. Here’s how to peel them off.

• Tap the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the Photo Map tab (it’s the teardrop-shaped icon) on your profile page, then tap the Edit button in the top-right corner of your Photo Map.
• Zoom in and tap a specific photo you’d like to wipe off your Photo Map.
• Another option: tap the grid button at the bottom of the screen (for iOS) or tap the three-dot menu button in the top corner of the screen and select “View All” (on Android) to “deselect” some or all your Instagram photos from your map.

Note: Have you already set your Instagram photos to “private”? If so, no one else but you can see your photo map, not even your followers.

6. Delete photos from your photo feed

Did you take and share a photo on Instagram that, on second thought, you wish you hadn’t?

No, you can’t make your Instagram followers “unsee” a photo (oh, if only you could), but you can delete it from your photo feed even after you’ve shared it.

• Tap the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Below your profile details, you should see all the photos you’ve shared in Instagram. If your photos are displayed in a grid, tap one to select it; otherwise, just scroll to the photo you want to delete.
• Just below the photo and over to the right, you’ll see a little menu button marked with three dots; tap the button, and a pop-up will appear with a series of options, including a “Delete” button. Tap “Delete,” and whoosh—your photo’s gone from your Instagram photo feed, if not from the memories of your followers.

7. Share photos only with specific Instagram followers

Just snap a pic that you’d like only a few of your Instagram followers to see? Well, you’re in luck.

A feature called “Instagram Direct” lets you pick and choose which Instagram pals can see your latest snapshot.

Here’s the trick: take a new photo using the Instagram app, then tap the “Direct” tab when you arrive at the final confirmation page.

When you do, you’ll see a list of all your Instagram followers; just scroll down and select the ones with whom you’d like to share the photo.

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1. Facebook / Twitter

 
Rejoice, social mavens: mobile apps for both Facebook and Twitter are available for Android phones, and each will let you post updates, browse the latest stories from your pals, upload photos, and share links.

Download: Facebook | Twitter

2. Netflix

 
Are you a Netflix subscriber? If so, get ready to start streaming. You can browse tens of thousands of movies and TV shows through Netflix’s glossy new mobile interface, manage your instant video queue, and stream videos over both Wi-Fi or 3G/4G cellular networks. Just be careful not to bust over your carrier’s monthly data limit.

Download: Netflix

3. Kindle / Google Play Books

 
Yes, bookworms, you can use your Android phone as an e-reader with the mobile Kindle or Google Play Books apps, which let you download and store, and flip through purchased e-books, even when you’re offline.

Download: Kindle | Google Play Books

4. Pandora / Last.fm / Slacker Radio

 
No need to go without free, streaming music if you’ve got one of these music apps on your Android phone. Each app serves up all the streaming tunes you can stand—albeit with advertisements.

Download: Pandora | Last.fm | Slacker Radio

5. Amazon MP3

 
Browse, purchase, stream and/or download new and catalog tunes from Amazon’s massive digital music selection.

Download: Amazon MP3

6. Pocket (formerly Read It Later)

 
Similar to Instapaper, Pocket (also available for the iPhone and iPad) saves and formats web pages you’ve bookmarked for mobile (and offline) reading. It’s the perfect app for Android users looking to dive into lengthy news and magazine articles on a small screen.

Download: Pocket

7. WeatherBug / The Weather Channel

 
How’s the weather out there? Both WeatherBug and the Weather Channel serve up current conditions and forecasts, plus animated radar maps, video forecasts, and webcam images from local weather stations.

Download: WeatherBug | The Weather Channel

8. Lookout Security & Antivirus

 
In addition to scanning your handset for the latest crop of mobile viruses; Lookout’s mobile security app will also track your lost or stolen Android handset, similar to Apple’s “Find My iPhone” feature. An absolute must-have app, if you ask me.

Download: Lookout Security & Antivirus

9. Google Reader

 
Perfect for keeping tabs on your favorite blogs and news sites, the Google Reader app syncs with the free, web-based Google Reader service and even saves new articles for offline reading.

Download: Google Reader

10. Yelp

 
Where to go, what to do … and what’s for dinner? Yelp for Android will pinpoint your location and list nearby stores, restaurants, banks, museums, hospitals, you name it. Each listing includes details like street addresses, hours of operations, and plenty of user reviews.

Download: Yelp

11. Dropbox / Google Drive

 
Your most important desktop files will never be more than a swipe away with these powerful file-syncing apps on your handheld. Dropbox offers free syncing for up to 2 GB of documents and will (if you wish) automatically sync all your mobile snapshots with your other Dropbox-linked devices.

Google Drive, meanwhile, taps into your online Google Drive account (up to 5GB of free storage) and adds the ability to create and edit Word- and Excel-compatible documents directly on your phone.

Download: Dropbox / Google Drive

12. Pulse News

 
A sleek, magazine-like mobile news reader that syncs with Facebook and Google Reader, Pulse News boasts featured sections from the likes of TIME, The Huffington Post, CNNMoney, and more.

Download: Pulse News

13. Flipboard

 
Don’t want to cough up the cash for a pricey digital magazine subscription? Build your own “social” magazine with Flipboard, an app that creates beautifully designed, magazine-style pages using stories from your favorite blogs, not to mention headlines shared by your Facebook and Twitter pals.

Download: Flipboard

14. Instagram

 
Armed with dozens of groovy filters and frames, Instagram turns your mobile snapshots into works of pop art—and if you’re feeling social, you can share your eye-popping pics on Facebook or Twitter, or with other Instagram users.

Download: Instagram

15. Skype

 
A must-have for new parents (as I’m just now discovering), Skype makes it easy for far-flung relatives with PCs, Macs, iPhones or iPads to say “hi” to baby via video chat. Also on board: crystal-clear voice calling and instant messaging.

Download: Skype

16. Pinterest

 
Browse all the fashions, products, food, and other online goodies that’ve been “pinned” by fellow Pinterest users, and create your own pins using the automatically installed Google Chrome “pin it” bookmarklet.

Download: Pinterest

17. Fandango / Movies by Flixster

 
Wanna see a movie? Fetch local showtimes, reviews, photo galleries and trailers for the latest box-office draws, buy tickets, or check out new movies on Blu-ray or DVD.

Download: Fandango / Movies by Flixster

18. Google Chrome

 
Why settle for the browser that came with your Android phone when you could get the mobile version of Google Chrome, a web-browsing speed demon that lets you sync bookmarks, tabs, recent searches, and other settings with Chrome on your desktop.

Download: Chrome for Android

19. Evernote

 
Don’t let that brilliant thought slip away; instead, jot it down with Evernote, an easy-to-use digital notebook that syncs your notes and web clippings with your (free) online Evernote account.

Download: Evernote

20. Google Goggles

 
Confounded by those blocky, black-and-white squares stamped on everything from magazine ads to billboards? Those are QR codes, and you’ll need a mobile QR reader to translate them. Enter Google Goggles, a free Android app that’ll quickly scan a QR code and reveal its secrets.

Sightseers will also appreciate Google Google’s ability to cough up factoids about notable buildings, statues, and other landmarks in your field of vision.

Download: Google Goggles

Keep in mind, of course, that these aren’t the only must-have apps in the Android Market. Have any suggestions for more? Post ’em in the comments below!

Update [1/3/13]: I’ve replaced Listen, the Google podcast app that hasn’t been updated in nearly six months, with Flipboard. I’ve also added Google Drive, Pinterest, Fandango, Movies by Flixster, Chrome, Evernote, and Google Goggles to the list.

The post 20 free must-have apps for Android phones (updated) appeared first on here's the thing.

Enter Postagram, an iPhone and (as of today) Android app that plucks snapshots from your handset’s photo roll, your Facebook account, or your Instagram feed (click here for more about Instagram) and lets you quickly create a postcard—a real postcard—that’ll arrive in mail a few days later.

Setting up the app is simple; just enter your address to create an account, select the picture you want to send (you’ll have to log into Facebook or Instagram to choose snapshots from those accounts), compose a brief message (like “look at me, I’m on vacation!”), and add some recipients from your phone’s address book.

All set? Click the “Looks great, I’ll buy!” button (each Postagram you send costs 99 cents), and you’re all set—no stamps required. Neat.

Source: TechCrunch

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