Instagram boosts customer service with 'Support Inbox' and other tools

The black box of Instagram support just got a little more translucent.

Instagram announced two new features Tuesday designed to make its support and appeals process easier for users to navigate. If you report someone else's account or post, or if you're having a problem with your own account (say, your account was disabled), there are now dedicated portals within the app to manage the problem.

The changes are for "Safer Internet Day," but they're also part of Instagram's larger effort to streamline its support process after widespread complaints that actually getting the company to take action was a slow and opaque process.

The first new feature is called "Support Inbox." This is a dedicated portal within the app where you can see all of your appeals to Instagram, and their status. For example, if you reported someone else's post, you'll be able to keep tabs on how Instagram is handling the situation.

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The support inbox in action. Credit: Instagram

In the support inbox, Instagram will also provide suggestions for what to do if the review process finds the offending post did not actually violate its terms (but was just sucky to you for whatever reason). It will show you how to block or mute the account of the person right there.

The second feature is a new interface for users whose accounts have been suspended. When Instagram suspended your account in the past, you had to deal with the situation through the help portal online. Now, if you try to sign into Instagram with the credentials of your suspended account, the app itself will take you through the appeals process.

Locked out of your account? There's an app for that. Credit: Instagram

Instagram has rolled out other features in the past to help people regain control of hacked accounts. If you're having trouble signing in, the Instagram "Need More Help?" button will let you prove you own the account through codes sent to your phone or email. This is an improvement on the old process, in which users of hacked accounts had to actually take a selfie of themselves and send it to support.

Instagram still has plenty of problems, including misinformation galore. Even if these tools can't prevent people from posting bad content in the first place, at least the good samaritans trying to clean up the place may have an easier time of it. 'Gram on.