As of March 31st, 2020, the Instagram platform will be deprecating its API.
This will directly affect the Instagram feed section in all Shopify themes, including Out of the Sandbox themes, as access tokens depend on this system to connect.
Future releases of each Out of the Sandbox theme will exclude the Instagram feed section (or Social Feeds section).
For older versions, the Instagram feed section may be visible but no longer functional as of the deprecation date (March 31st, 2020).
To prevent having an empty Instagram feed on your storefront, you should delete the Instagram feed section on any pages it appears within your theme by following these steps:
Step 1: In your Shopify Admin, navigate to Online Store > Customize.
Step 2: Locate the Instagram section within the Theme Editor.
Step 3: Remove the Instagram section where it appears on all pages.
If you do not see the Instagram feed/Social feeds section as an available option, this mean that the section has already been excluded in your theme version.
Please note: This will only impact the Instagram feed which has been added to your store through the Theme Editor and does not affect any of your sales channels like the Instagram Channel.
Alternatives to explore
If the Instagram feed is important for your store, consider these alternative approaches for displaying Instagram posts on your home page.
Replace with an app
Many apps available in the Shopify Apps Store perform a similar function as the Instagram feeds. The main benefit of this approach would be the real-time presentation of the latest posts.
Adding third-party apps can come at a cost, however, and we are unable to guarantee that the apps will integrate with Out of the Sandbox themes. Any conflicts with the added app and your theme would need to be resolved by the app’s developers.
Additionally, the Shop Instagram & UGC app has been tested with all Out of the Sandbox themes to ensure compatibility.
Custom HTML section
All Out of the Sandbox themes now contain a Custom HTML section, so you can easily add the code from a third-party Instagram app. Turbo version 3.2.0 and up, Flex version 1.0 and up, Parallax version 3.7.1 and up, Retina version 4.6.6 and up, Mobilia version 6.1.6 and up, Responsive version 7.1.6 and up, and Artisan version 1.2.5 and up all contain this section.
You may need to update your theme in order to make use of this section. Which Theme Version Am I Using?
Manually add images using another image section
Each theme includes sections for displaying uploaded images on the home page. Using the same images edited for and added to your Instagram posts, we recommend using the Logo list or Gallery homepage sections for a similar result.