Instagram rolls back TikTok-like changes after criticism

Instagram will roll back some of the recent changes to its platform after critics complained it was only trying to be more like TikTok and that they preferred it before. 

Adam Mosseri, who serves as the head of Instagram, told Platformer, a publication focused on covering Big Tech and democracy, in an interview on Thursday that a test version of the platform that displayed full-screen photos and videos will be phased out in the next one to two weeks. 

He said Instagram will also cut down on the number of recommended posts in the app while it works on its algorithm. 

“I’m glad we took a risk — if we’re not failing every once in a while, we’re not thinking big enough or bold enough,” Mosseri said. “But we definitely need to take a big step back and regroup. [When] we’ve learned a lot, then we come back with some sort of new idea or iteration.” 

The changes received criticism from celebrities, including Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, for shifting toward the style of TikTok, which allows users to scroll through full-screen videos from one to the next.

Mosseri said in a video on Twitter on Tuesday that photo-sharing would remain part of the app but that the future of Instagram would focus more on video. 

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, has been pushing the platform for more video-based content. 

Mosseri told Platformer that the usage data “isn’t great” for the new design and users were frustrated. He said Instagram will temporarily reduce the number recommended posts but did not say by how much. 

He said the rollback will not be permanent. 

Instagram did not immediately return a request from The Hill for comment.