Instagram started out as a platform for people to share photos specifically, but as with most products, over the years the company has had to adapt to the trends. For example we saw the inclusion of video posts, then IGTV which allowed for longer content to better compete with YouTube, then Stories which was a key Snapchat feature, and more recently Reels, Instagram’s attempt to compete with TikTok.
Moving forwards, it seems that the Instagram we used to know and love could be no more. In a video posted on Twitter by Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, it seems that Facebook really wants to compete with TikTok and that Reels might not be enough, so much so that they want to transition into an app that offers a full screen video experience similar to TikTok.
According to Mosseri, “We’re also going to be experimenting with how do we embrace video more broadly — full screen, immersive, entertaining, mobile-first video. You’ll see us do a number of things, or experiment with a number of things in this space over the coming months.” He also adds, “We’re no longer a photo-sharing app or a square photo-sharing app,” although he does attempt to clarify this by saying that Instagram isn’t “just” a photo-sharing app.
This is kind of a bummer because there are many creative professionals who use platforms like Instagram as a portfolio for their work. While we get where Instagram is coming from, it is disappointing that this could essentially force some of their users off their platform.
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