When it comes to better features and enhanced user experience, Instagram is never in the backseat. After the Instagram feature updates in 2022, it started the new year with changes in the UI design.
Changes in Instagram’s UI
With its constant efforts to better the user experience, Instagram is again going to change its UI in February 2023. Over the years, Instagram has focussed on providing a seamless shopping experience to its users. Instagram reels were filled with one or other products from food to cosmetics and shoes to dog accessories.
But now Instagram is making changes to its navigation bar. Earlier the navigation bar had a reels button in the center and an “add posts/reels” button on the top right corner of the home page.
The information was released on Instagram’s help center. As a part of this new UI design, Instagram is shifting its focus to content rather than shopping. The new navigation bar will include the “add post/reels” button in the center of the navigation bar.
The reels button will still be present on the navigation bar. But instead of the center of the navigation bar, it will be shifted to the right.
Adam Mosseri even announced the new UI design on 10 January 2023 on Instagram Reel.
Will Instagram Stop the Shopping Feature?
However, Instagram is not removing its shopping feature from the app. Instead, it is continuing to enhance the shopping features so that you can expand your business on Instagram without any hindrance across feeds, stories, reels, and meta ads.
Reason for UI Change
The main reason for changing the navigation bar is that Instagram wants to focus on providing informative content to the audience- the META.
Besides that, during COVID, the power of online shopping saw a new dawn, and the number of online sales skyrocketed even for small brands. But with the opening of retail counters, it soon became insignificant, and people rushed to the retail stores after the lockdown.
Last year Meta was forced to cut 11,000 jobs, mainly from the online shopping department in wake of its over-estimated growth potential. Instagram has taken a step back from Instagram shopping as a key element of its marketing growth strategy.
Conclusion
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, was in a rift with Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner over the full-screen view for photos/reels that resembled TikTok. He clarified it by saying, “It’s a test to a few percent of people out there, and the idea is that a more full-screen experience, not only for video but for photos, might be a bit more fun and engaging experience. But I also want to be clear, it’s not yet good.”
This shows his dedication to improving user experience, and the changes in the navigation bar are one way to do so.
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