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Instagram CEO admits the platform is pushing ‘too many videos’ on users

Over the last few years, Meta has been shifting the focus of Instagram – which was born as a photo app – to compete with short video apps like TikTok. However, this has left many users upset. And after Instagram reversed design changes that made its app more similar to TikTok, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has now admitted that the platform has been pushing “too many videos” on its users.

Instagram won’t get rid of photos despite focus on videos

In a Story posted by Mosseri on his personal Instagram profile (via The Verge), the head of the platform acknowledged that there are a “number of photographers who have been upset” about how Instagram has been focusing on video. But also according to him, “photos will always be a part of Instagram.”

In the same Story, Mosseri said that Instagram “overfocused” on video last year and that now the platform will go back to balancing the amount of photos and videos shown to users. In one example he gave, Instagram will consider how often a person likes and comments on photos versus videos to determine which content will appear first in their feeds.

The executive working for the Meta-owned company explained that Instagram will continue to put efforts into videos as this content has been driving overall engagement more, but that Instagram won’t get rid of photos in its app.

But photos are always going to be an important part of what we do. And there are always going to be people who love and are interested in finding photos on Instagram and elsewhere. And I want to make sure that we’re very clear about that.

In another Story, Mosseri talked about the number of spam and bot accounts on Instagram that has been growing recently.

“We definitely have spam and bots on Instagram. We’re doing our best to reduce it. I’m particularly worried about comments right now,” he added. Earlier this week, the social network also introduced a new option to let users pause Instagram notifications and hide some posts from the Explore tab with Quiet Mode.

More recently, Instagram also announced that it will no longer push the shopping features right at the home of its app.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.