A test version of the app that opened up to full-screen photos and videos will be phased out in the coming weeks, and Instagram will also reduce the number of recommended posts in the app while they work to improve their algorithms.
- I'm glad we took a risk - if we don't fail every now and then, we're not thinking big or bold enough.
But we definitely have to take a big step back and regroup, Mosseri told Platformer
The announcement comes after hundreds of thousands of users, including Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, protested that the social network has become increasingly similar to the video-based network Tiktok.
Some of the criticism was about Instagram's increased focus on videos instead of still images.
However, the shift towards videos on Instagram will likely continue despite the criticism.
- People share and interact more with video in relation to photos, and more and more over time, says Mosseri.
- It's an industry-wide trend and I don't think it would be responsible to ignore it.