Instagram CEO Defends Shift to Video Content, Says Photo Support Will Continue

Instagram parent company Meta has been pushing the social media app further into video content in order to compete with TikTok, but many Instagram users have been unhappy with the continued focus on video.

Instagram Feature 1
Celebrities have spoken out against the change, and a petition to "Make Instagram Instagram Again" has garnered more than 1.7 million likes, leading Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri to share a video on Twitter explaining Instagram's plans.

Mosseri confirmed that "more and more of Instagram is going to become video over time," which he claims will happen "even if we change nothing." He said that what people share on Instagram is already shifting to videos over time, and Instagram will "have to lean into that shift while continuing to support photos."

Instagram is experimenting with a "number of different changes to the app," according to Mosseri. The full-screen version of the feed that some users are seeing is a test to a "few percentage of people." Mosseri says that Instagram is aiming to determine whether a full-screen experience for photos and videos might be "a more fun and engaging experience." If the feature ships to the rest of Instagram, it will be improved first.

Instagram users have also been unhappy with recommendations, which are posts that Instagram inserts into a feed based on other accounts followed. Mosseri says recommendations can be snoozed for up to a month, but Instagram is going to try to get better at recommendations because it is "one of the most effective and important ways to help creators reach more people."

Mosseri said Instagram will ultimately continue to support photos, but that the app "needs to evolve because the world is changing quickly" and Instagram has to "change along with it."

Popular Stories

CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
tvOS 18 Thumb 1

Apple Releases tvOS 18.4.1

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
iPhone Security Feature 25

Five iPhone Security Features You Should Be Using

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options. If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...
vision air cable

Images of Apple 'Vision Air' Power Cable Emerge Online

Thursday April 17, 2025 5:55 am PDT by
More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami." Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of ...

Top Rated Comments

JCCL Avatar
36 months ago
I hate reels more like anything. I don’t know how people can watch random dumb stuff one after another And another. Originally I installed Instagram because I wanted to see pics from friends & family and some public figures that interested me, but more and more it is pushing random reels I don't care about, and the content I originally wanted to see is getting harder and harder to find. This app is getting so close to being removed from my Phone.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
36 months ago
Yet they can't release a dedicated iPad app...a 1 trillion dollar company!
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RemedyRabbit Avatar
36 months ago
My feed contains less and less photos from the users I follow and more and more videos from accounts that I'm not remotely interested in ?‍♂️

Such a shame that every successful app becomes increasingly worse over time as they're squeezed dry of every last little drop of profit.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
parkds Avatar
36 months ago
Why can’t a photo sharing platform just be enough. I know they don’t want to be caught flat footed, but Instagram is always chasing the “hot” new kid on the block; Snapchat, Clubhouse, now TikTok. Instagram needs to be true to it’s identity, which it’s users expect, and innovate, don’t follow.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
36 months ago
Instagram video content is a joke already. Half of the time it's filled with random commercial ads. This is pure greed.

Sorry, Instagram. You cannot compete with TikTok. Stop trying to be them. Stick to the original business plan.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mariusignorello Avatar
36 months ago
Oh sure, photos will still be supported but they’ll be deprioritized and reach practically nobody.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)