Panic on Instagram! The social network is currently carrying out tests to remove featured stories and group them in a specific tab. A change that is far from pleasing to users!
One of the functions that you appreciate the most on Instagram is certainly, like many people, the publication of stories – photos or short videos accessible for twenty-four hours by tapping on the user’s profile photo. The perfect way to share your daily life or publications that caught your eye! Since 2017, it is even possible to “save” them and group them in the form of albums to display them featured on your profile, in the form of small bubbles. But big changes are coming to this function! Indeed, the featured stories will change places. They will be moved and grouped in a specific tab, identifiable by a rounded heart icon. And suffice to say that it is far from pleasing users! Obviously, it seems that this is too much change for the social network!
End of featured stories: a change currently being tested
Adam Mosseri, the boss of Instagram, returned to this change in a live on the social network. “We are trying to find a way to improve the profile and simplify the content […] You will still be in control, you will still be able to pin things, there will be a dedicated highlights tab, but we don’t need to have bubbles and make it all complicated.”he explained, while admitting that it was a choice “controversial”. Result of the races: the profiles of many users will undoubtedly look much more “naked” because, today, many young people no longer post, not very excited about the idea of having to publish elaborate photos or constructed text and thought. They prefer stories, more intuitive and “authentic”, less hassle in short.
This new feature has been in the testing phase since November 19, so not everyone is yet affected. But some users are already starting to receive notifications explaining that their featured stories will “be moved”. And suffice to say that it is far from pleasing them! On TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), many are expressing their dissatisfaction. “Instagram removes the bubbles from the front page, wtf? Man, it’s my whole personality, I’m nothing, my account is nothing without them”dramatically says a user. Others are outright threatening to delete the application. At the same time, the function is particularly practical, since it allows you to find a specific memory or, in the case of influencers and companies, information very quickly.
This change comes after a multitude of announcements from Meta to simplify the navigation and aesthetics of Instagram. Afterwards, it is not impossible that Meta will go back if user dissatisfaction is too great. This had already been the case, when the social network was a little too inspired by TikTok for the tastes of Internet users.