Instagram is reversing some recent changes to its app following a user backlash that included criticism from high-profile users Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. The platform had been accused of mimicking TikTok at the expense of its loyal user base, with changes that included a full-screen display test and algorithm adjustments that flooded feeds with videos from accounts users did not follow.
On Thursday, Instagram announced it would roll back the full-screen test and tone down the algorithm changes. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, told tech newsletter Platformer, “I’m glad we took a risk… But we definitely need to take a big step back and regroup.” He acknowledged that the new feed designs had frustrated users and that usage data was not strong.
The backlash intensified on Monday when Kylie Jenner, Instagram’s third most-followed user with 361 million followers, and Kim Kardashian, with 326 million, shared a meme demanding “Make Instagram Instagram Again,” adding “stop trying to be tiktok i just want to see cute photos of my friends.” Other users complained about unwanted video recommendations, prompting Mosseri to post a video on Tuesday defending the shift toward video, though he later conceded the platform had gone too far.
Mosseri said Instagram would reduce the amount of recommended posts, stating, “When you discover something in your field that you didn’t follow before, there should be a high bar… You should be delighted to see it. And I don’t think that’s happening enough right now.” The Daily Show host Trevor Noah was among critics, saying, “Everything is an ad, and your feed is full of people you don’t follow.”
Despite the rollback, Instagram confirmed a permanent change: all videos will become “Reels,” its TikTok-style feature. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, reported a 30% increase in time spent on Reels but also its first year-on-year decline in quarterly revenue for April-June, which it attributed to macroeconomic conditions.
