Instagram app appears for Windows Phone, but you can’t have it (because it’s not real)

April fools. We’re writing this story for one reason: to get all of our awesome loyal fans to stop tipping us on Instagram becoming available for Windows Phone. News flash: it’s not.

The app in question went live in the Store on March 31st in beta form and cannot be downloaded by the public. In the app description, all of the features of the hipster photo app are given along with mentions of Windows Phone 8 support and a “Modern User Interface by Sarper Erel”, who happened to have made an Instagram “concept” for Windows Phone 7 back one year ago in 2012.

That's just where some of the weirdness begins...

There’s also of course the last bullet point in the app description that a few have glossed over: “And Happy April 1st 2013!.". Ahem.

Let us just clear a few things up: if Instagram was about to come out, we’d surely know about it. Trust us. This is not it, even though the company name, Burbn Inc. is the right one for Instagram.

So how did this happen? Simple, anyone with a developer account can make a private beta on the Windows Phone Store and have the app say whatever they want to say.Throw in some screenshots designed by someone else as a "project" from one year ago and hey-ho, you have a fake listing that looks almost real. Almost.

Let’s look at a few other oddities here, just to be safe:

It’s April first
The app description makes mention of April 1st
The app was published on March 31st
It’s conveniently a private beta, meaning no one can test it
The app design is based off of a 2012 concept that was a made “in a day”
IT IS APRIL FIRST

Do we need to go on? Sorry folks, no Instagram. at least not today. Indeed, we have a feeling we’ll be fighting off quite a few rumors and “news” today, so just have fun and take it all with a grain of salt.

Oh and if you want to see the app yourself in the Store, knock yourself out.

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

174 Comments

Why do that
I know seriously its pathetic. We should contact Instagram on the price of developer cost and start a kick starter for a full featured WP8/WP7 App.. I guarantee In TWO days we would raise enough...
This
Like seriously developers shouldn't complain about porting apps to other platforms when community funding is readily available. Its the new wave, community is funding all the developers need to do is make the product.
There's one alternative that many people probably haven't thought of.

Because of API restriction, third party apps can view, but not post images to the service.

Hipstamatic has a special agreement with Instagram that allow images from Hipstamatic to be upload into Instagram.

We could just convince Hipstamatic to develope for Windows Phone.
I don't care for Instagram but my nephews & nieces won't move to WP tell they have their beloved Instagram so for this alone I would donate to a kick starter project.
Sure, but where is vlc player / a detail on when it is coming around?
Well it's owned by Facebook, who are supposed to be releasing their own aneroid based phone. It's possible that they don't want to give WP8 any more market share prior to release of that, especially considering they need to fix their mobile offerings.
Like YouTube the worst part is the app is done, just not released
why care about such an idiotic servic in the first place?
For the same reason you might want a notification center, subway surfers, or better MS office integration or remote PC control. Everyone wants different things/different needs. Personally I dint care for Instagram, but I want the new MySpace app, reverbnation and a better soundcloud app and better Facebook app for pages support, why because I'm a musician. My friend does graphic work and photo shoots for my album releases and he can't live/work for me without Instagram.
Sad thing is even if the money for development were handed to Instagram, they still wouldn't do it. It's more about the long term extortion of MS. More $$ over the long term. It's effing sleezy but high profile apps will continue to do this until WP is a bigger percentage of the overall market.
To toy with your heart.
Because it's April 1st.
LOL. The version no. says 4.1.20.13
Somebody is good at this.
People go way too far with the April fools. I swear the holiday makes me want to punch people in the face. It obvious the app is fake. I think they would use the same icon design.
Seriously, Kevin and I were discussing that tonight at dinner. I'm tempted to take the whole day off and just drink because the "news" will be full of stupid. Sigh.
Somebody say drink??
+1
Just don't drink everytime someone mentions IG. You'll get cirrhosis.
What a sad day will be today!
New WPC tradition: Reader meet up with staff to drink all day. All news apps unpinned and unused. Every April 1st. Or: The WPCentral "Everything is fake today so let's just have a podcast" special edition podcast. With drinking.
+10
Is there a chance if this gets out in the news that it could actually help us get Instagram in the long run buy causing a stir and putting even more pressure on the creators of Instagram to develop a app?? Maybe this will work to our advantage, or maybe this joke was a elaborate scheme to help us get Instagram.. IDK, I'm just trying to make light of the situation.
If this an April fools joke, maybe it push the Microsof to pay enough and provide us faster than they is planing, because if not, Microsoft will be the JOKE of the month.
We all need to be like "Albino Guy" from Benchwarmers and hide from the sun!! At least for today...
But it make me think that the Instagram and publisher name are not "reserved" on the store, what make me think that the real Instagram unfortunately are far away from us.
Humm!!
It's not a holiday..
I don't get why people get so riled up because of a joke...
It's not like there was a promise to puplish this app. It seems people nowadays can't distinguish between priviledge and right.
I am going to cry. This is just awful. Smh
D'awww... Way to crush our hopes and dreams.
#AFD
This guy needs a punch or alternativiely a Lumia 920 throw at his face.
There's a joke but then there's going too far, it's not your company you can't do this.
Iv dropped a Nokia lumia 920 on my head before now, several times! Id not wish that pain on no one, except the guy that did this joke, this guy is welcome to many throws at his face!!!!
Now that's just cruel...
hopefully we will be able to download it by tomorrow!!
Download a fake, non-working app?
^^^ hilarious
We are hoping Daniel, and we know it won't happen. We know it is fake, we just choose to be in denial.
Actually yes....to mess with ppl
I pretty much didn't bother getting my hopes up. I've accepted WP will probably never get Instagram. And that's fine by me. I will live and keep enjoying Windows Phone.
Not cool yo.
Gone too far lol.. Just kidding, gotta learn to have some fun and loosen up a little.. :)
This is cruel.
Some people need a life...
And with that said...
I'm going back to Monster Hunter
saw it on twitter too, windows phone daily got tricked by it. that's why i only read this site because you guy don't fall for stuff...thanks WPCentral.
But that's gone piss a lot of people off though..
Instagram is coming!
Well...mines downloaded. O_o APRIL FOOLS!
*Punches face* .... There :)
WHY!!?!?!?!?! D:
I think that devs that submit fake apps should be reprimanded (and I praise developers constantly). There are many devs that take app development seriously and use it as a business, and having fake apps just causes a stir and a level of untrustworthiness between developers or the platform and its customers. Microsoft should remove the app.
And this is coming from someone that has never used instagram a day in my life! Lol! I just think that they actually violated some terms of agreement between devs and Microsoft...
This really, really sucks. As much as I hate it, we need Instagram. Making this even as a joke isnt funny! :(

But I want to know why Microsoft has let this be published? Or does it not pass through their certification since it is a private app?
"Or does it not pass through their certification since it is a private app?"
This.
Is it me, or is there no way to like a comment inside an article, just the forums? Some comments r just too funny, and I want to just press a button rather than respond, LOL.
What???
Lol nice one. Will make alot of people angry though. Haha :P
A 4MB fake app?
That's what I was wondering, since I checked Photoplay and it's 4mb also.
I've been emailing Instagram forever, a ton. I know this ones fake, but I hope that this is a sign that it's coming. Sort of like the [adult swim] Toonami April Fools Day that a few months later got a spot on Saturdays on tv.
The part that throws me off is it doesn't require permission to use either camera. An essential part of instagram, this has to be fake & a lame AFD "joke".
I thought it was funny
Definitely a cruel joke. But let's get serious... once we finally do get Instagram, the hype will die over and no one will care anymore. It's a lame excuse for people use who are afraid to jump on board.
Plus those pictures in the screenshots are old.
Taken from Microsoft's Dev center under app certification requirements:.
1.2 Your app must be fully functional when the customer gets it from the Windows Store
The Windows Store offers only fully functional apps to provide customers with the best experience. Anything that might cause our testers to think that your app is not completely finished will cause your app to fail certification. I don't think April fools jokes are a part of the deal.
Exactly, I dont think someone will go so much as this to play a simple april fool prank on basically MS themselves and their customers. So either it is true or this guy should be punished.
This was a private beta.
They deserve it. Their tears taste great with Peeps. :]
Lol :D
Instafool'd
Dan im sorry you had to waste your time writing this article but these comments are pretty entertaining
+1
Good thing I don't care about instagram
I'm thoroughly enjoying Photoplay- Instawhat?
Unfortunate. My girlfriend would've gotten a windows phone
Its already removed! Was a fake!!
Why does it still show up at http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/instagram/d2112331-a469-4be6... I'm sorry, I'm not really familiar with beta testing, etc. Would it still be in the store if it was a beta test?
Well, actually I think this may be the real Instagram app Since the publisher is "Burbn Inc", who releases the iPhone and Android version of Instagram So the real app will be available soon IMO.
Oh, I didn't know that, maybe so... Well what about the "Happy April 1st..." If it is a beta app, do u think the devs were just giving a shout out to whoevers testing it?
That was quick. I wanted to see it in the market place, but I can't get to it now. Seems they might have removed it. The link says bad URL.
Am I the only one that still sees it at http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/instagram/d2112331-a469-4be6... maybe I should clear my cache, lol.
Nope I still got it too :) this was on my phone so yeah still in market. I think its real but they are teasing it and will release when its ready?
Odd thing for someone to aspire to be thought of as a douchebag.
Womp!
Lets grow the hell up.
Look here, people. The only way we can get our platform attention from Android and Iphone users is to bring this app to the platform. Whether you like it or not, to grow our platform, we need this app. People will switch for this app, trust me.
+1
There are two things that I am so feed up with, the gay marriage debate and instagram.. Who cares?
Millions of people, obviously.
Will gay marriage law allow threesome marriages too? As there are many cases where three people fall in love and stay together.
Will it allow threesome marriages? I sure hope so. 2 wives > 1 in some cases.
One suspicion was the use of a different instagram logo,but if you go to the instagram site, and you look at the iPhone version, it'll have that same WP logo on the iPhone's "upload a pic" button, so technically the supposed WP app has an official logo.
Oh man I got so excited when I saw the notification of this news on my phone...
Oh come on its only fun where's your sense of humor lol.
submit a fake beta on the 31st, and crush everyones hopes and dreams. then comes April first, and BAM submit the real full app..
everyone fooled :P anyhow, its sad that such a stupid app, is shaking the WP ecosystem
Lol. Real stupid app..
It's not even April 1st & already these things are popping up! Smh.
And now it looks like it's already been taken down.
Maybe the app means that Instagram is coming soon?
Damn. Missed seeing it by a few minutes.
Go to wmpoweruser, the link is still there.
FYI
1. Publisher names are unique and cannot co-exist with an existing one. Picking a publisher name is done before Microsoft sets up your dev account.
"Publisher Name is the name users will see on their phone. Publisher names are unique and will be verified during the registration and Microsoft account validation processes."
"If you receive a publisher name conflict error message, the error indicates that the globally unique publisher name you provided is already in use on Dev Center. Your options are either to provide a new publisher name or to dispute the use by someone else if you have rights to the publisher name."
2. Just because the date says 31/03/2013 doesn't mean that the app was done overnight. This date indicates when was the app submitted to the Store.
3. The app is still in Store.
4. They used the concept images as a placeholder because it's a private beta app, and because it fits in nicely with WP interface, so they obviously paid Sarper Erel and credited him nicely in the info box.
So... It can't be Microsofts joke?
It's still up on my side. The URL, at least. And it still looks to be there, on my end, after a reload.
http://sarpererel.com/portfolio/instagram-wp7-concept/
btw that guy is turkish (me too) so its probably fake. i mentioned him in twitter and ask why he did such a cruel joke :) waiting for a reply.
Its a April Fools → coming soon thing guys. It'll be here soon. No source.
Even though it is fake, the url is still up, at least the link I'm using. http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/instagram/d2112331-a469-4be6-95a6-b7433f5571dc
I think there is a reality to this joke. The publisher is original Instagram publisher and also the logo looks professionally done to my eyes. Also if you search for the name "Instagram" on store, you will find no apps exactly named as Instagram. So I guess it is restricted to give the name "Instagram" to an app unless you are the original publisher or Microsoft (can anybody confirm this?).
In short this joke increased my hopes. We might see Instagram on WP in a few weeks!
I did agree with U.
overly optimistic zulu :p
Chill out. It's one app. Damn.
Whats Instagram? Why would I want this app? Seems everyone is interested in it.
My Family who are Filled with iOS and android use it
So suppose this is a joke? From instagram themselves or what?
April Fools!
Wtf
Soo.. Just from reading everyone's comments, I believe one of two things has happened: The Windows Phone store has been HACKED. Or Instagram will be released VERY soon.
If it was hacked. MS would've said something. But they didn't so I think this is the real app
The publisher is the real owner of Instagram :S
Good joke... But this instagram thing is getting too much!
still this instagram? I'm trying to forget about this useless app.
Dear 12 years old girl, stop requesting this app.
iNstagram folks has now made joke of themselves by not releasing a wp app. I am out now. I dont need an instagram app any more. I can live without it........
Weird. The app was updated to 4.1.20.13 Beta and the List changed and the app date is now 1/04/2013 According to peacefulberry's link
100% free custom designed filters and borders
☆ Lux works its magic by making your photos more vibrant and brings out details in your photos you couldn't see before
☆ Linear and Radial Tilt-Shift blur effects for extra depth of field.
☆ Instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, and Foursquare
☆ Interact with friends through giving & receiving likes and comments
☆ Works with Windows Phone 8
☆ Tightly integrated with Lens, Photo Hub, and the popular Windows Phone photo apps

Doesn't say happy April 1st anymore unless you refresh it

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/instagram/d2112331-a469-4be6-95a6-b7433f5571dc
The requirements also changed
media playback data services movement and directional sensor HD720P (720x1280) WVGA (480x800) WXGA (768x1280) they added HD720P screen
I have a gut feeling this is the the official instagram app
Maybe :D
From MSDN page :)
Since beta participation is by invite only, your beta won’t be searchable on the Store.
Hey, "Instagram" is updated! :p
it says last updated 4/1/2013
and version number is changed to 4.1.20.13Beta
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/instagram/d2112331-a469-4be6...

i hope it's still april's fool
PhotoPlay anyone?
I follow you already :-) cool pics man
By the time Instagram comes on Windows Phone, it'll already be out of fashion, like Temple Run or Draw Something.
+1
I just realized version number is 4.1.20.13
4/1/2013 LOL

btw, here is msdn support about Beta Testing :)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/help/jj215598(v=vs.105).aspx
If this is a HOAX i would say to the DEV FFFFFFUUUUUUU Biatch