A new Instagram test would make the app look even more like TikTok. According to TechCrunch, Instagram is experimenting with full-screen vertical home feeds. When opening the Instagram app, users will immediately see vertical content intended to “put video more in front”.
An image shared by Instagram shows a home feed occupied by a full-screen post with comments, captions, likes, and other features placed on top of the post rather than below it. While the Stories bar isn’t at the top of the screen in the image, Seine Kim, a Meta spokesperson, says the view shows the home page once users start scrolling, and Stories can still be accessed at the top of their screens. Search, Reels, Shopping, and a user’s own profile can still be accessed via buttons at the bottom of the screen. Notifications, messages, and new posting features will remain at the top, along with the ability to switch accounts.
Kim says that still images and video messages are also included in the full-screen feed.
Instagram’s choice to test feeds focused on immersive video isn’t exactly a surprise. The company has been pushing short videos heavily to creators and users and offers cash bonuses to creators who make top reels. And it would be really nice if you stop reposting TikToks on the platform. In late April, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the platform would change its ranking algorithm to reward “original” content rather than reposted content. And the platform has invested in creators’ tools to take original content away from its competitors: Instagram began testing templates in late April, allowing creators to use existing Reels formats for their own videos.