Instagram continues to focus on full-screen content, getting ready for a global test of “ultra-tall” photos in feed.
The news was confirmed by CEO Adam Mosseri during his weekly Ask Me Anything.
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“You can have tall videos, but you cannot have tall photos on Instagram,” Mosseri said. “So we thought maybe we should make sure that we treat both equally.”
Currently, Instagram allows for vertical images to be displayed up to 4:5. With the new format, Mosseri explained that photos will be able to fill in the entire screen with a new, taller 9:16 format.
It is not the first time Instagram has tried to introduce taller, full-screen photos. As part of its “TikTok-like redesign” of the app has already tested 9:16 images in the news feed. Back then the app was automatically adding overlay gradients to the bottom of posts so that text would be easier to read. This treatment would clash with the original appearance of photos, and Instagram eventually decided against it, even resulting in Mosseri publicly admitting that the full-screen experience was less than ideal for photos.
Now Instagram is planning on reintroducing the same format, but without mandating it across the board, leaving the format choice to the user.