Instagram hits pause on full-screen feed, some in-feed recommendations

After mounting criticism online, Instagram plans to walk back on some changes, including a test version of the app that shows full-screen photos and videos. It'll also reduce the recommended posts you see in the main feed. The new redesign test will be phased out over the next few weeks. 

These changes come as users express their frustration over the decisions Instagram makes to better compete with TikTok and navigate what it says is changing user behaviour from posting photos to watching more videos. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said this shift to more video consumption is real and pre-dated the rise of TikTok. But he acknowledged that people didn't like the design changes.

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Instagram is not going to pivot away from videos

You might not be happy with Instagram's recent attempt at becoming a TikTok competitor. Unfortunately, that isn't going away. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed it'll keep moving away from its photo roots. And while the app will continue to support photos, he said the move away from them is driven by user behaviour, claiming sharing and viewing videos is growing, and they are "gonna have to lean into that shift."

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Instagram tests turning all video posts into Reels

Meta really wants you to use Reels. Social media consultant Matt Navarra shared a screenshot on Twitter that shows Instagram experimenting with turning all video posts into Reels. So, if your account is public, any user can discover your video and use your original audio to create their Reel. Only your friends will see your video if your profile is private. If you have a public account and don't want your Reel to be remixed, you will need to turn the option off in the Settings or disable it for specific videos.

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Instagram tests pinned grid posts

Photo by Pixabay

Instagram might be taking another page from other social media apps like Twitter and TikTok. Meta gives some users the option to pin Instagram posts at the top of their profiles. This allows you to draw attention to specific posts you'd want followers to pay attention to. It's similar to pinned tweets on Twitter or pinned videos on TikTok. It makes it easier for anyone to land on your profile to discover content you want them to see. 

Meta has confirmed it has been testing the feature out, but we don't know if this will exit the testing phase. Instagram already lets you highlight stories on your profile, but this will give you or creators another way to highlight popular content or offer new digital ad space for sponsored content.

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