The Instagram that we know of, is always at the forefront, testing new waters with new features and what not. However, are YOU ready for the latest update where Stories take over Instagram?
Back in May, a new double-story Stories feed was being tested on certain users by Instagram. Instagram has now confirmed that it’s testing a full-screen Stories display as well.
Credit: Social Media Today
As per the screenshots posted by Adweek Marketing and Social Media Manager Julian Gamboa, some users are now seeing a prompt below their double-story Stories display to “See all stories”, which when tapped on, the display of Stories expands into a full screen (depending on how many Stories you’re actually eligible to view). This then creates a Connect 4-style display grid of tappable Stories. Instagram has confirmed that this feature is currently being tested only on a small number of users.
Credit: Twitter/Jane Manchun Wong
Back in April, Jane Manchun Wong, a Reverse Engineering Analyst spotted the code for a full-screen Stories display in the app, which showed that Instagram had still been testing even back then. It seems that Instagram is shifting their focus onto Stories, which is likely to be the future of Instagram, an app that opens to a full-screen, all-encompassing Stories display similar to TikTok with its video clips.
As Instagram users we know that the main focus of IG is to upload colorful, unique pictures on our accounts that make our feed more beautiful and engaging. With the development of the “Instagram Stories” feature, this mindset has changed over time. The shift in the focus from a traditional post feed to a Stories feed on the app seems to be due to the increase in the number of people viewing and using Instagram Stories more. Even if we don’t post much photos on our feed, we constantly share stories. As parent company, Facebook has repeatedly noted that, even if they haven’t already, Stories are now definitely on track to overtake the news feed as the main surface for social media engagement.
Instagram is keeping up and changing in line with user behavior which is the only way anyone can survive in the digital age.
The feedback provided by the test users of both the double-decker and full-screen Story displays will play a key role in Instagram’s final decision whether to implement these features or not. If the users in the test pool end up using Stories more, and keep coming back more often, it is almost certain that Instagram would look into pushing the concept further, and as it would help fend off competition from TikTok, replicating the app’s UI, and matching user preference, it seems like a logical advancement and win-win for IG.
