Here's How the Amazon Spark Social Network Works

2017-07-19T13:16:00.000Z

Amazon would really like you to buy more stuff, ideally through Amazon.

The company has launched Amazon Spark, an Instagram-style shoppable feed that appears inside the Amazon app to showcase products. We first saw Spark on TechCrunch.

The experience is similar to scrolling through your Instagram feed, except in this case everything is set up so you can click on an image and buy the items in it.

Business Insider tried Amazon Spark on the iOS version of the Amazon app. It feels a bit beta for now — you have to be in the US, and Spark shows up only for Prime members. And some items don't seem to be available to buy as they appear in Spark; we tried to buy a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses that we saw on Spark, and Amazon showed us a slightly different version.

Here's how Spark works:

To open Spark from the Amazon app, click the menu from the home screen, scroll down to "Programs and Features," and you should find Spark listed.

If you're in the UK and want to use Amazon Spark, you'll need to change your country settings to the US.

Spark will show you images based on your interests, and it will ask you to pick five or more from categories like men's fashion and home decor.

Once you're in Spark, you can scroll through an Instagram-like feed, all inside the Amazon app.

Spark highlights which items in the image are available to buy on Amazon — in this case, it's the rug, the mistletoe, and the sunglasses. We tried buying the sunglasses ...

... and it's not perfect. The Ray-Ban sunglasses shown on Spark look slightly different and cooler than what's available on Amazon.

And Amazon shows you items in Spark that aren't available to buy. Here is a glossy product shot of Amazon's new meal kits, which launched this week ...

... but if you want to buy them, they're sold out.

Anyone who uses Spark right now is probably a big Amazon fan. The company has acknowledged that by featuring a nod to a recent meme about its CEO, Jeff Bezos.

This photo of Bezos arriving at the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, went viral in the past week because he looks incredibly buff now compared with when Amazon started.

You too can buy Bezos' jacket, T-shirt, and jeans. The "guns" probably need a little more effort though.

You can follow Spark users whose interests match yours. It's early days, and there aren't many people posting.

If you want to post on Spark, you need to be a Prime member and make a "minimum amount" of Amazon purchases. We didn't qualify.

Amazon has launched a shoppable social network called Spark — here's how it works

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Amazon has launched a shoppable social network called Spark — here's how it works

To open Spark from the Amazon app, click the menu from the home screen, scroll down to "Programs and Features," and you should find Spark listed.

If you're in the UK and want to use Amazon Spark, you'll need to change your country settings to the US.

Spark will show you images based on your interests, and it will ask you to pick five or more from categories like men's fashion and home decor.

Once you're in Spark, you can scroll through an Instagram-like feed, all inside the Amazon app.

Spark highlights which items in the image are available to buy on Amazon — in this case, it's the rug, the mistletoe, and the sunglasses. We tried buying the sunglasses ...

... and it's not perfect. The Ray-Ban sunglasses shown on Spark look slightly different and cooler than what's available on Amazon.

And Amazon shows you items in Spark that aren't available to buy. Here is a glossy product shot of Amazon's new meal kits, which launched this week ...

... but if you want to buy them, they're sold out.

Anyone who uses Spark right now is probably a big Amazon fan. The company has acknowledged that by featuring a nod to a recent meme about its CEO, Jeff Bezos.

You too can buy Bezos' jacket, T-shirt, and jeans. The "guns" probably need a little more effort though.

You can follow Spark users whose interests match yours. It's early days, and there aren't many people posting.

If you want to post on Spark, you need to be a Prime member and make a "minimum amount" of Amazon purchases. We didn't qualify.

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know