Artifact, the personalized news reader built by Instagram’s co-founders is now open to the public, no sign-up required. Last month, Instagram’s creators Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, unveiled their latest venture as an invite-only experience, promising their news app would later evolve to include social elements, like being able to discuss the news with friends. With today’s launch, Artifact is dropping its waitlist and phone number requirements, introducing the app’s first social feature, and adding feedback controls to better personalize the news reading experience, among other changes.
When Artifact first emerged in January, the app required a phone number and an invite to try out, which drove initial demand. But it also kept the app out of the hands of many potential users in the near term. The company says the waitlist included around 160,000 sign-ups. Even with an invite, users outside the U.S. couldn’t necessarily try Artifact, because the sign …
