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Instagram images shared on your displays using the Valotalive Instagram App
Instagram images shared on your displays using the Valotalive Instagram App

Automate the Instagram feed from a specific Instagram account to the digital displays. Account host’s permission required.

Katariina avatar
Written by Katariina
Updated this week

Connect Social media to digital displays with Valotalive Instagram App and automate the Instagram feed from a specific Instagram account to the digital displays.

Valotalive – Instagram app main features

✔ Secure Instagram authentication

✔ Support for text, images and auto-play video!

✔ Choose the amount of latest post to display

✔ Secure and very easy to setup

Two different layouts to choose from.


Activating Instagram app

IMPORTANT!

The Instagram account used for authorization must be a professional account.

Before you start, check Instagram web page using the same browser you use for activation (Chrome or Edge)

Make sure that the browser is

a) either logged in to the company's account or

b) is not logged in to another Instagram account.

Instagram authentication is done very quickly and it does not ask which account to follow if the system finds a site it has access to.

Easiest way for activating a content App is from Valotalive Dashboard. Just click the icon of the content you wish to activate and proceed. More detailed info of the first steps can be found here:

Settings on the Apps' Configuration tab

  1. Authorize Instagram with OAuth2

    If you do not see the AUTHORIZE option your account has previously verified Authorisation.

    Please check that the Authorization is valid from the SERVICE INTEGRATIONS page.

    NOTE! All authorisations between Valotalive and Instagram are valid for 60 days at a time, after which you will need to renew the authorisation (token). When the token expires your displays will keep showing Instagram contents, but won't receive new posts.


  2. Logo (Avatar image) to be used

    Add your company logo, Instagram logo or any image to this field.

    This field is mandatory, as the app does not function without the image.

  3. SHOW ADVANCED

Single view app's Advanced settings are:

  1. Number of posts displayed
    This defines how many of the newest posts will be displayed in the info screen.
    Define it according to how often you post information to Instagram keeping in mind that the info screen should not have too old contents showing

  2. Seconds per article
    This defines how long one post will be visible in the info screen at one time.
    Ideal length is between 7-13 seconds

  3. Animated text on screens (On/Off)
    To define if there is movement on the screen or not.

  4. Posts in one show cycle
    Choose how many posts should be shown in one show cycle. Min. 1, max. 12 define how many Instagram posts are shown at one time before something else comes to the screen.

  5. Mute videos Yes / No
    We recommend using audio on your digital displays only with special contents. If there is a lot of sound on the displays people may find the sound annoying.

Instagram Grid app's Advanced settings are:

  1. Time to loop the animations once
    How many seconds the Instagram Grid app is shown on the display before something else comes up.

  2. Approximate number of images desired to be on the screen
    Actual number depends on the display aspect ratio.

    • Best practices:

      • With landscape displays start with 5 images, up to 30 images

      • With portrait displays start with 3 images
        The best result is achieved by testing. Thumb rule is that the bigger the display the more images can be shown.

  3. Show videos (over network) - Yes / No
    Should there be many videos on the followed account caching won't work: thus showing videos might use up a lot of bandwidth and incur expenses

Complete the work by adding the app to a flow or directly to a display.

Reauthorize Instagram

You will need to reauthorize Instagram authentication from time to time as it is valid only for a limited time.

Reauthorize here: My Account | Service Integrations

After reauthorization you'll see the number of days the access token is valid:

Valotalive Instagram App - Validity of the access token

Need to change the connected account? Do this:

Instagram's API allows for connecting one Instagram account per Valotalive user. If you'd like to change which account is connected you can:

  • First check which account you're logged into with the same browser and logout if needed.

  • Revoke Instagram authorization here: My Account | Service Integrations (this will delete all active Instagram Apps linked with the account)

  • Reauthorize on the same page choosing the correct Instagram account this time

  • Create a new Instagram app for the connected account

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