Instagram rolled out a major update earlier today that changed the layout of the UI (user interface). This update was not announced and everyone thought that Instagram started malfunctioning instead. However, it looks like this update was rolled out by accident and the folks who are in charge of Instagram moved quickly and changed the app’s UI back to how it was before.
Accidental Instagram Update
The confusing part about the new update is that it changed the way people watch their feed. Instead of scrolling through posts as they usually do, users had to tap through the feed in order to watch the pictures and videos that people have posted recently, similarly to how Stories work.
Instagram Chief Speaks Out
Adam Mosseri who is Instagram’s Chief decided to release a statement in which he announced that the update which was recently rolled out was actually a bug. The update was never intended to be released and the only reason why it came out is because of a glitch.
Testing the User Base
On the other hand, people are speculating that the update was actually released intentionally like this so that the developers can get an idea of what Instagram’s user base thinks of the new UI. In fact, the main theory behind this is that Instagram was planning to test the new UI with a smaller user base and that it decided to take a risk and release it to every user instead.
Focusing on Stories
If there’s something that we can take from this Instagram fiasco, then it must be the fact that Instagram is going to focus more on Stories in the upcoming future. This is the most popular feature of Instagram.
In fact, this is what Facebook’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox had to say about Stories: “The Stories format is on a path to surpass feeds as the primary way people share stuff with their friends sometime next year”.
