Instagram Will Become More Like TikTok

 

Instagram plans to revamp its app by recommending more video content to users. The plan was announced by Instagram Head Adam Mosseri after seeing the success of competing platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

In a video posted on Twitter, Mosseri said Instagram will implement several design changes, including recommending full-screen videos in user feeds.

Recommended videos include from accounts the user does not follow. Instagram users will start seeing these changes in the coming months.

"We are no longer a photo sharing application or a square photo sharing application," said Mosseri, as quoted by CNBC, Thursday (1/7/2021).

"We're also going to experiment with ways to embrace video more broadly — full-screen, engaging, entertaining, mobile-first video. You'll see us doing a number of things over the next few months."

Changes are coming to videos on Instagram

At Instagram we're always working to build new features that help you get the most out of your experience. Right now we focus on four main areas: Creators, Video, Shopping and Messaging. pic.twitter.com/ezFp4hfDpf

- Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) June 30, 2021

Instagram's decision to prioritize video content and feature recommended content in the main feed is not surprising. Not long ago, this Facebook-owned social media tested placing Recommended Posts suggested by the algorithm in the main feed.

Instagram also has several features that allow users to upload and enjoy full-screen video content, such as IGTV, Reels and Stories. Reels even launched Instagram to compete with TikTok.

In his video, Mosseri specifically said that this change was made based on other platforms such as TikTok and YouTube which are considered serious competitors to Instagram.

"Honestly, there are some serious competitors now. TikTok is huge, YouTube is even bigger, and there are many other upstart players," explained Mosseri.

"People go to Instagram to be entertained, there's fierce competition and there's still a lot to do. We have to embrace that, and that means making a difference."