Instagram will reverse some recent product changes following a week of mounting criticism, the company announced today.
Instagram will reduce the number of recommended posts in the app as it works to improve its algorithms, and a test version of the app that opened to full-screen photos and videos will be phased out over the next one to two weeks.
“I’m glad we took a risk if we’re not failing every once in a while, we’re not thinking big enough or bold enough,” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said in an interview.
“But we definitely need to take a big step back and regroup. [When] we’ve learned a lot, then we come back with some sort of new idea or iteration. So we’re going to work through that.”
The changes come amid growing user dissatisfaction with a series of Instagram changes designed to help it compete with TikTok and navigate the broader shift in user behavior away from posting static photos and toward watching more video.
Kylie Jenner, a TV star and entrepreneur, and her sister Kim Kardashian posted memes on Monday asking the company to “Make Instagram Instagram again.” And nearly every day, people on Twitter post tweets criticizing the new Instagram, which quickly go viral.
Redesigns frequently elicit the wrath of users who are resistant to change, but in this case, the high-profile dissatisfaction was supported by Instagram’s own internal data, according to Mosseri.
According to him, the trend of users watching more video predates the rise of TikTok. However, it is clear that people dislike Instagram’s design changes.
“For the new feed designs, people are frustrated and the usage data isn’t great,” he said. “So there I think that we need to take a big step back, regroup, and figure out how we want to move forward.” In addition, the company intends to show users fewer recommendations. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, recommended posts and accounts in feeds currently account for about 15% of what you see when you browse Facebook, and an even higher percentage when you browse Instagram. According to Zuckerberg, that figure will be around 30% by the end of 2023.
Instagram will reverse some recent product changes following a week of mounting criticism, the company announced today.
Instagram will reduce the number of recommended posts in the app as it works to improve its algorithms, and a test version of the app that opened to full-screen photos and videos will be phased out over the next one to two weeks.
“I’m glad we took a risk if we’re not failing every once in a while, we’re not thinking big enough or bold enough,” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said in an interview.
“But we definitely need to take a big step back and regroup. [When] we’ve learned a lot, then we come back with some sort of new idea or iteration. So we’re going to work through that.”
The changes come amid growing user dissatisfaction with a series of Instagram changes designed to help it compete with TikTok and navigate the broader shift in user behavior away from posting static photos and toward watching more video.
Kylie Jenner, a TV star and entrepreneur, and her sister Kim Kardashian posted memes on Monday asking the company to “Make Instagram Instagram again.” And nearly every day, people on Twitter post tweets criticizing the new Instagram, which quickly go viral.
Redesigns frequently elicit the wrath of users who are resistant to change, but in this case, the high-profile dissatisfaction was supported by Instagram’s own internal data, according to Mosseri.
According to him, the trend of users watching more video predates the rise of TikTok. However, it is clear that people dislike Instagram’s design changes.
“For the new feed designs, people are frustrated and the usage data isn’t great,” he said. “So there I think that we need to take a big step back, regroup, and figure out how we want to move forward.” In addition, the company intends to show users fewer recommendations.
According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, recommended posts and accounts in feeds currently account for about 15% of what you see when you browse Facebook, and an even higher percentage when you browse Instagram. According to Zuckerberg, that figure will be around 30% by the end of 2023.
To read our blog on “An AI tool that checks your age by scanning your face is being tested by Instagram,” click here
