Some Flickr users are reporting problems with the photo sharing site that may be related to what browser they're using -- even if the browser's up to date.
Since late last month, some users have reported problems after seeing a message telling them their browser was unsupported. Some say they've lost the ability to do things on Flickr, like comment on or download photos, while others say their photos now appear in lower resolution.
On April 21, Flickr began notifying users they would need the latest browser versions. The service supports Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer and Opera, but its help page now says Flickr may not work properly on older versions of those browsers.
The Yahoo-owned site said it started requiring up-to-date browsers because it's modernizing its infrastructure to provide users with the best browser experience. Some users have problems because they are using unsupported browsers or trying to use older versions of the site, a Yahoo spokeswoman said.
But in comments on Flickr's user forum, some users say the site isn't working right even with the latest browsers. The issue seems to be affecting users of the free version of Flickr as well as paid account holders.
"I was very happy using Safari with Flickr. Now I can neither read nor make comments on photos," wrote one user, who added, "My version of the browser is the latest that my operating system supports."
"I have the very latest version of Firefox. Just uploaded it moments ago and only now do I start to have trouble," another said. "This is incredibly annoying. I pay $25 a year for this?"
Others, however, say Flickr works fine; they just ignore the unsupported browser message.
The criticisms come as Yahoo tries to improve Flickr on the desktop and mobile, to attract users and better compete against rivals like Instagram. Just this week, the company rolled out a redesign that changed its photo upload and categorization tools. In 2013, Yahoo began offering a terabyte of storage for free.
The problems reported by some users could be a sign that Yahoo faces technical challenges in modernizing Flickr. Flickr launched in 2004 and Yahoo acquired it the following year. The site went without a major redesign for several years while more modern competitors emerged.
Also this week, the news site Re/code reported that Flickr chief Bernardo Hernandez had resigned from Yahoo for personal reasons.
Zach Miners covers social networking, search and general technology news for IDG News Service. Follow Zach on Twitter at @zachminers. Zach's e-mail address is zach_miners@idg.com