Instagram CEO confirms ultra-tall photos feature testing: Here’s what we know

Highlights
  • Instagram is focussing on full-screen content and will test 9:16 photos
  • Instagram’s CEO during the weekly Ask Me Anything confirmed the testing to begin in a week or two
  • Instagram was recently criticised for its TikTok-like redesign and had to put an end to it for now

Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, during the weekly Ask Me Anything confirmed the plan of testing 9:16 photos to see if they can work just as well as full-screen reels in a week or two. He mentioned that Instagram has tall videos but not tall photos and hence, it’s time to start treating them equally. Recently, the photos and video sharing app received a lot of criticism regarding its redesign but that didn’t stop the company from focusing on its full-screen content.

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Currently, the app offers 4:5 vertical displaying shots and anything beyond it needs to be cropped in order to fit. If the new testing proves to be successful, then we will be able to have slimmer and taller 9:16 photos on the feed. Adam Mosseri also confirmed that this feature test will take place during the weekly Ask Me Anything.

instagram 9:16
Instagram

The major contentions of users with Instagram’s TikTok-like redesign were:

1. It made all the photos appear in a 9:16 frame.

2. Addition of overlay gradients to the bottom of the post by its new feed in order to make it easier for users to read the text.

But many photographers had argued that it clashed with the originality of the photo and affected the original work of the photographer.

After its redesign testing that didn’t receive an affirmative response from users, Mosseri acknowledged that the photos didn’t quite go along with the full-screen experience. But this still doesn’t put an end to Instagram’s aspirations of building and providing a tall photo experience to its users. Hence, it will continue to work on it but on a limited scale this time.