After reactions from its users, Instagram is backing down from some big changes. The social media giant started testing full-screen display for photos and videos last month. However, the responses contained great reactions.
Instagram Head Adam Mosseri told Platformer that testing will end in the next few weeks. “People have been disappointed with the new designs and the feedback hasn’t been great,” Mosseri said. “So we need to take a big step back there, rethink and figure out how we want to move forward.”
According to the new decision, the full-screen display will be shelved for now, and the level of recommended content you see will be reduced, at least temporarily. “We want you to discover something in your field that you haven’t followed before, but our suggestions should be great,” said Mosseri.
Still, Mosseri continues to advocate for the prevalence of suggested posts in the app, claiming they’re important in helping creators build their own audiences.
At Wednesday’s earnings meeting, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that about 15 percent of the posts people see on Facebook (and even more on Instagram) are suggested by algorithms. He added that they aim to double the volume of suggested posts within the next year.
To compete with TikTok and combat the transition from photos to videos, Instagram wants to implement a full-screen feed and more suggested posts. The time people spend watching Reels has increased 30 percent in the last quarter, and Mosseri says the gradual adoption of video by users is “a paradigm shift we’ve seen for years.”
Still, many people have rebelled against the full-screen change. High-profile users like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian called Meta this week, “Instagram, redesign Instagram.”
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