Instagram U-turns on TikTok-style revamp

Image source, Getty Images

The new features on the app have been put on hold due to backlash from users.

An increase in recommended video content was one of the new features.

The display and feeds were criticized for not showing photos from friends and family.

The company wants to take the time to get the changes right.

The popularity of competitor TikTok, which allows users to post and watch more video as opposed to static photographs, is thought to be the reason for the recent changes to the photo sharing service.

The first app not owned by Meta to reach 3 billion downloads is the TikTok app.

The test version of the app will be phased out soon, according to Mosseri.

If we don't fail once in a while, we're not thinking big enough or bold enough.

We have to take a step back and regroup. We come back with a new idea after a lot of learning. We will work through that.

Mr Mosseri said in a previous video that full-screen videos would be promoted over photos.

He followed it up with a series of posts saying he wanted to support photos.

One thing I hear a lot is people asking to see more friend content in Feed. I'd love for there to be more friend content in feed, but all the growth in photos and videos from friends has been in stories and in DMs.

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) July 26, 2022

In response to Mr Mosseri's video, the US model said that users don't want to make videos and are more interested in photos.

On their stories, the reality TV stars shared an online "petition" to make their social media accounts more active.

When she received content from the people she chose to follow on the photo sharing site, it was so much better than the changes she was upset about.

Instagram is trying so hard to compete with TikTok that they’re trying to become another TikTok. If I wanted to see video after video from random pages I don’t follow, I wouldn’t be on Instagram. Do what we need from you, and bring back the photos of our actual friends!!!

— TONI TONE (@t0nit0ne) July 24, 2022

"Based on our findings and community feedback, we're temporarily decreasing the number of recommendations you see in your feed so we can improve the quality of your experience."

Changes to the app can be an adjustment, and we want to make sure we get this right.

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