Ubuntu Phone has an unofficial Instagram app called Instagraph, but (until now) there was no desktop client available for Ubuntu desktop.
Although Instagram is (imo) best experienced through its official mobile apps, you can login and browse your feed via the Instagram website.
But, next time you go to reach for your phone or open a new tab to browse your feed, try Ramme instead.
Ramme Is a Desktop Instagram App
Ramme is a free, open-source and cross-platform desktop Instagram app. It’s built using Electron and offers all the same features that you’ll find in Instagram for web.
You can view and browse your Instagram feed, like photos, comment, and reply to other users. You can click on hashtags listed in captions to see other photos that are tagged with it. This happens in the app. You’re not redirected to your browser when clicking them.
A responsive design helps make Ramme look good, regardless of what size you want to use it in. The left-hand navigation bar stays stays in place.
Ramme is simply a simple way to browse your feed, comment on photos, and search. It even manages to sneak in a features of its own, including an optional dark mode, responsive design, and an extensive set of keyboard shortcuts:
- Dark mode: Ctrl + D
- Refresh: Ctrl + R
- Go Back: Ctrl + 1
- Discover: Ctrl + 2
- Notifications: Ctrl + 3
- Profile: Ctrl + 4
- Scroll post up: Shift + Up
- Scroll post down: Shift + Down
As per Instagram’s own API restrictions, you cannot photo uploads in Ramme (yet). If you’re hoping to get that sort of feature, you will have to wait for Instagraph (which uses a reversed engineered upload API) to arrive on the desktop, or hope that Ramme’s developers work through its roadmap with speed.
Future features planned include video/photo downloading, photo zooming, support for Instagram stories, desktop notifications and — sharp intake of breath — photo uploading.
Is it better than opening Instagram.com in a new tab? That’s for you to decide. If you think a standalone Instagram “app” will suit your work flow better (as it does mine) do try it out.
But if yet-another-electron-wrapper-with-bells-on isn’t for you, keep on rocking whatever is!
Download Ramme for Linux
Ramme is a free, open-source app and is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. You can download Linux binaries from the project’s Github page.
Autocorrect keeps automatically turning ‘ramme’ into ‘arm’. Apologies if you see one I’ve missed.