Instagram updates for iPhone 5 and ditches live filtering

With the debut of Apple's iPhone 5 and its new bigger 4-inch screen, developers had to madly rush to redesign their apps to fit the device. Instagram announced today that its app is now ready for the iPhone 5 and iOS 6.

"Instagram version 3.1 is available in the App Store!" the photo sharing app wrote in a tweet. "Updates for iOS 6, iPhone 5, and more. Android 3.1 coming soon."

Version 3.1 shows photos filling the smartphone's full screen and also updates the registration process for new users. The photos aren't any bigger -- since the width of the iPhone didn't change -- but more pictures and comments can be seen at once when scrolling.

According to The Next Web, one feature that is lost with the updated version is live filtering, which lets users select a filter while taking a photo. Apparently, Instagram plans to phase out live filter view altogether, starting with this new update.

"As of the current release (v3.1), Instagram does not support live filters on the iPhone 5," the app makers wrote in the Help Center. "Going forward, live filters will be phased out as we work to improve the Instagram experience for all users."

For those apps that don't yet have updates for the iPhone 5, two black bars frame the top and bottom of the app on the screen. While there are still many app makers that have yet to finish the updating process, the main social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, are good to go.