TikTok has taken the social media world by storm as developers look to integrate some (or many) of its features into their apps. While Instagram Reels was designed to compete with TikTok, we’re now learning about a new feature possibly coming to the platform – vertical scrolling for Stories.
The feature appears to be live in Turkey, as reported by Matt Navarra. Additionally, Brazilian tech journalist Thássius Veloso also received the feature. This suggests that Instagram is preparing a wider rollout of vertical scrolling for Stories.
Instagram’s new Stories layout still allows users to tap either the left or right of the screen to view Stories from the same person. However, switching to another user’s Stories will require users to swipe down (via 9to5Mac).
Instagram will soon allow users to view feed posts chronologically
In addition to these changes to Stories, Instagram is currently testing a chronological feed for posts. The platform would continue to offer the option to revert to the algorithmic feed that currently exists. However, this updated news feed could take a while to finish rolling out. As per Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, it could take until the first half of 2022 for users to get the “full experience.”
There’s also an “Edit Grid” feature coming to the platform sometime soon. This would enable users to modify the appearance of their Instagram profile to visitors. The feature appears to be centered around creators, allowing them to modify the appearance of their profiles.
2021 has been a mixed bag for Instagram and even Meta (formerly Facebook), as whistleblower revelations rocked the company. Instagram came under scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers over reports of the platform’s algorithms being harmful to teens. In the wake of widespread criticism, Instagram announced a couple of significant changes.
One of them was “Take a Break,” which reminds users to stop using the app for some time. Instagram then said it would bring new parental controls to the app by March 2022. This would allow parents or guardians to set time limits and monitor their child’s Instagram usage. The company said it would provide tutorials and tips on managing kids’ social media use.
Despite the setbacks, Instagram has set steep goals for 2022. “We’re thinking about who we are, what we value and what kind of change we want to affect in the world,” Mosseri said last month. Reels also appears to be a big area of focus for Instagram this year.
2022-01-14 15:08:11