Instagram is working on a bevy of updates to improve the photo viewing experience on the platform.
Alessandro Paluzzi, a mobile developer, has been sharing these updates-in-progress on social media as he sees them.
Earlier today, Paluzzi announced that Instagram is testing a way to let users expand profile photos by long-tapping them directly.
A couple days earlier, he shared that Instagram is experimenting with the ability to upload 9:16 photos. This coincides with Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram’s post in early May explaining that the future of photos and videos will be “mobile-first” — Instagram appears to be following TikTok’s lead in creating a full-screen vertical layout.
Paluzzi also shared that Instagram is testing the ability to crop how posts appear on your profile.
This seems to align with Instagram’s earlier announcement that users will be able to pin posts on their profiles and create customizable grids. This change is likely motivated by the ability to give creators more control over how other users view their page.
Lastly, Instagram is working on a new feature that will allow users to hide the number of followers they have on their profile page, similar to how users can hide how many likes they receive on a post. While many users and brands boast their followers as a sign of popularity and credibility, this could make the app more attractive to those still building a following.
Since all of these features are still in test mode, it’s unclear as to whether they will eventually expand to all users.
#Instagram is working on the ability to crop how posts appear on your profile 👀 pic.twitter.com/AmjVsHh1AX
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) May 26, 2022