Video is becoming more and more expected from social media platforms, and with that comes changes from the original staples of social media platforms.
While it hasn't rolled out to all users, it seems that Meta is pushing more and more users to a full-screen feed.
According to Zuckerberg, it is meant to, "make it easier to discover content and connect with friends." What that means exactly still has yet to be seen. There's a lot of speculation that says that this is simply their way of competing with TikTok, and the greatest evolution will be behind the scenes- the success of which will be determined greatly by the all-powerful algorithm on which it is built.
Given the latest data that TikTok has begun to eclipse Google search for Gen Z, it's pretty clear the old standards of an Instagram feed full of photos aren't going to cut it anymore in the era of video. In order to retain market share, Meta is going to need to keep pushing the limits of their platform to compete
with the new chaotic leviathan on the block.
It also seems as though they will be moving toward changes in the Post feed. As users and any social media managers know full well at this point, having
photos and videos in two sizes in the app creates a strange visual problem when creating covers for videos. Having personally been a user since Instagram's inception, having to upload 3 types of content replete with hashtags (posts and reels) and links (stories) for one platform is cumbersome and extraordinarily frustrating.
In addition to all of that, enter the changing tech of phones that have twice the visual space (Hello Samsung Galaxy Fold 4), and what you're left with is a race to the new tech social media giant. Only time will tell who emerges, but in the meantime, here's what we know about the changes coming to Instagram:
What's changing:
Instagram will look more like TikTok for videos with a new Full-Screen Display mode, with swipe-up scrolling
Homescreen mode will automatically be set to dark mode.
Ability to Save will not be available on the video screen. "Save" will now be under "More".
Testing will begin for photos on full-size screens.
Author data will be on the bottom, and full captions will require scrolling.
According to many users, they have already begun to see the new functionality roll out in wider and wider markets, and has been met with a broad scope of emotions spanning from love to annoyance to ouright disdain. So if you haven't updated your app in a while, you may be seeing a legacy version that won't stick around for much longer.
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