Meta agrees to roll back horrible new Instagram interface after outcry
posted Monday Aug 1, 2022 by Scott Ertz
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that it will be rolling back its new Instagram interface. The outcry from users was too loud for Meta to ignore, and it appears that the company has heeded their complaints. However, this is not all good news, as Meta also plans to move forward with a plan to source a large part of your feed from accounts that you do not follow.
What is the new Instagram interface?
The new interface, which has been rolled out to a small percentage of users, makes it harder to see posts and relegates photos to second-class status on the platform. The goal of the new design was to make Instagram more like TikTok, with Reels being the primary content. However, users were not having it, and Meta has now agreed to stop the rollout of the new interface to new users.
Many users who received the update, including myself and our good friend Erin Hurst from the 3000 Brigade, stopped using the platform entirely. The interface made photos nearly impossible to view, and made even the video experience less pleasant.
What plans won't be changing?
Meta still plans to move forward with a plan to source a large part of your feed from accounts that you do not follow. This is something that they have been testing for a while, and it is not clear why they think this is a good idea. Sure, it can be nice to occasionally see new types of content or be introduced to new creators. But, currently, a surprising number of posts on my personal feed are from creators I don't know - and it is not limited to Instagram. I've experienced a huge uptick in Reels and Stories showing up on Facebook from people I don't know.
Meta has confirmed that this is not a bug, but a feature. So, if you're someone who liked to see content from the people you follow, you're going to be out of luck. The algorithm is prioritizing Meta's own interests over those of its users. In fact, they intend to make it worse, planning on sourcing at least 30% of all content on your feed from accounts that you do not follow. This would completely change the way the platform works and make the act of friending or following a person or a company a significantly less valuable activity. Now, both platforms will be all about the algorithm instead of connecting with those you care about.
The bottom line
Meta has listened to the outcry from users and has agreed to roll back the new Instagram interface. However, they are still planning to make changes that will impact the way you use the platform. It remains to be seen exactly how intrusive these changes will be for most users, but we can assume that the experience is going to be very different. We will be sure to keep you updated.
What do you think about Meta's plans? Let us know in the comments below!
