Instagram latest experiment copies BeReal's features

Source: Alessandro Paluzzi

Unsurprisingly, a new feature Instagram is testing out copies another buzzy social media app. Just as it paterned its Stories feature from Snapchat's Stories, the Meta-owned app is now setting its sights on BeReal, an app that prompts you to take photos from the front and rear camera within two minutes of clicking the notification. Instagram is testing its take on this feature through its copied Stories feature.

The company is calling it "IG Candid Challenges." According to leaker and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, the feature lives within Instagram's Stories section and is an opt-in feature. You'll get prompted to post a story at different times a day within two minutes. It will use the Dual feature Instagram introduced for Stories in July. While it is being tested there is no guarantee that Instagram will roll this out to users. But with the buzz BeReal is getting, we wouldn't be surprised if the company pushes through with it.

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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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