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

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
AirPods Pro 3 Year of the Horse Feature

Apple Launches Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year

Monday January 5, 2026 11:28 am PST by
Apple has designed a limited edition version of the AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate Lunar New Year, and customers in select countries can purchase them starting today. The Year of the Horse Special Edition AirPods Pro 3 feature a unique horse emoji character that's otherwise unavailable. Customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore are able to buy the AirPods, and they'll be...

Top Rated Comments

JCCL Avatar
45 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
45 months ago
Yet they can't release a dedicated iPad app...a 1 trillion dollar company!
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RemedyRabbit Avatar
45 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
45 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
45 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
45 months ago
Oh sure, photos will still be supported but they’ll be deprioritized and reach practically nobody.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)