Instagram is testing what is likely to be a controversial change in Instagram Stories. As first reported by TechCrunch, Instagram is developing a new feature that would allow users to scroll vertically through Stories, instead of touching or sliding horizontally like the current design, similar to TikTok.
Alessandro Paluzzi first shared the discovery on his Twitter account. In the screenshot shared by Paluzzi, you can see text in the Instagram app sparking “Vertical stories” as a new feature. “Now you can swipe up and down to browse the stories,” describes Instagram.
Instagram confirmed for TechCrunch that the TikTok style feature is really something that is in development, but it is still a prototype and not finished. “This is an initial prototype and is not being tested on Instagram,” said the spokesman.
This means that while Instagram is prototyping the change, there is no guarantee that it will be released to the public.
The TechCrunch The report explains how a vertical TikTok-style interface can make Instagram stories more focused on video than static content. In fact, just yesterday, a report indicated that Instagram may soon stop people from sharing images from their feed with the stories.
That said, turning Instagram stories into a vertical feed would be a noticeable change, and could potentially set the stage for a more static content shift – like the shared photos and feed posts that still often fill the stories section today. In a “Vertical Stories” feed, on the other hand, Instagram would likely prioritize video posts over images to compete better with TikTok, just as it is currently tweaking its algorithms and overall design to prioritize Reels.
This change in Instagram Stories, if released to the public, is almost certain to be controversial. Although sliding vertically through Stories makes it similar to TikTok, it is a big change for many people who have muscle memory for the current interface.
What do you think of this change? Do you prefer that Instagram has a vertical or horizontal design for stories?
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