Instagram has been receiving widespread backlash from users due to the app’s increased promotion of videos and recommended content over the more personal photos from friends that people are used to seeing on their feeds.
“Make Instagram Instagram again. Stop trying to be TikTok. I just wanna see cute photos of my friends. Sincerely, everyone,” said a widely spread Instagram graphic that was posted by two of the site’s most prominent users, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner.
Instagram’s pivot to video started in 2020, when the app introduced Reels, which many saw as Instagram’s answer to TikTok. Since then, many have complained that their Instagram feeds have been taken over with suggested Reels made by users they don’t follow and other recommended content, similar to TikTok’s ForYou page.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri took to the app earlier this week to address those concerns, however, this only caused more backlash towards the app’s new features.
“I want to be clear, we’re going to continue to support photos … That said, I need to be honest, I do believe more and more of Instagram is going to become video over time,” said Mosseri. “We have to lean into that shift while continuing to support photos”
Mosseri also addressed the complaints about recommendations. “It’s an effective and important way to help creators reach more people.”
Many Instagram users condemned Mosseri’s video, believing he was not listening to their concerns and just admitting that Instagram was attempting to compete with TikTok.
Since then, Instagram has paused a full-screen version of the app that it was testing with some users, after many complained it felt too similar to the TikTok interface.
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