Following online criticism from users, influencers, and celebrities, Instagram says it is stopping the launch of new features on its app.
One of the new features was a rise in suggested video content akin to TikTok, a competing app.
People complained that they were not seeing as many images from friends and relatives on the display and newsfeed.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, stated that it will “take time” to make the adjustments properly.
The rise in popularity of competitor TikTok, where users post and watch more video instead of still images, is thought to have sparked Instagram’s redesign toward more video content.
The TikTok app, the first app not owned by Meta to reach this milestone, has already been downloaded more than three billion times worldwide, according to data from digital analytics firm Sensor Tower.
The test version of the updated app will be phased out within weeks, according to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, who spoke to The Verge.
Mr. Mosseri stated in an earlier video explanation of the shift to video that full-screen films will be prioritized over images.
However, in response to criticism, he tweeted repeatedly that he wished to “continue supporting photos.”
US model Chrissy Teigen commented on Mr. Mosseri’s Twitter video, saying that users “don’t want to make films” and that engagement with photos has decreased.
On their Instagram stories, reality TV stars Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner also posted a link to an online petition to “Make Instagram Instagram again.”
Author and content producer Toni Tone expressed her displeasure with the changes in a post, saying that Instagram was much better when she received stuff from the users she chose to follow.
A representative for Meta told the BBC: “Based on our findings and community feedback, we’re pausing the full-screen test on Instagram so that we can investigate other options.” We’re also temporarily reducing the number of recommendations you see in your feed so that we can improve the quality of your experience.
Kim Kardashian Slams Instagram
Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, stars of reality television, have joined Instagram content creators in criticizing the platform’s new look.
Ms. Jenner and Ms. Kardashian posted messages on their Instagram Stories pleading with Meta to “make Instagram Instagram again.”
Recently, Instagram has turned its attention from single posts to its own brief video format, Reels. Some users, though, are urging Instagram to “quit trying to be TikTok.”
There has been “a lot of change all at once” on the site, CEO Adam Mosseri acknowledged in a reel on Tuesday.
Read Also: Facebook and Instagram parent-company Meta sees fall in sales
He assured users that photographs would remain on Instagram since they are “part of our tradition,” but added that he thinks Instagram will eventually focus more on videos.
He continued, “Instagram will need to lean into that transformation” of consumers using video on the platform while maintaining support for supporting photographs for liking, consuming, sharing, and viewing.
He said that additional improvements will be made to other elements that worry authors, like a full-screen option, suggestions, and the visibility of friends’ posts.
On July 21, the site unveiled new tools for content producers utilizing its Reels feature. These tools allow users to “remix” previously published public photo postings as reels and concurrently record and respond to content using both front and back cameras using a “Dual” function.
Instagram also disclosed that in the upcoming weeks, any new videos that are under 15 minutes in length would be automatically uploaded as Reels.
