LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Instagram is continuously introducing new features to keep up with the dynamic social media landscape.
Most recently, they tested a feature that presents a dedicated feed exclusively for posts from verified users.
Now, Instagram is exploring a collaborative carousel post feature, enabling users to invite friends to contribute additional photos or videos to their feed posts after they’ve been published.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, confirmed that the platform is in the testing phase for this feature but did not specify a release date.
According to Mosseri, users can activate the ability for their followers to submit photos and/or videos before posting a carousel.
READ ALSO: Instagram Unveils New Gen Z-Focused Features
These submissions can be approved and added to the post. In a demonstration of this feature, an “Add to post” button is visible in the bottom left corner of a carousel post.
Friends can tap this button to send their contributions, or users can swipe to the last slide of the carousel to find a larger “Add to post” prompt for adding photos or videos to the existing post.
It’s important to note that you can only add media to a friend’s carousel post if they have the feature enabled, and all submissions must be approved by the original poster.
Additionally, last week, Adam Mosseri mentioned that Instagram is also testing a dedicated feed that exclusively displays posts from verified users.
Apart from the regular Instagram feed, which includes ads, reels, and other posts, users can switch to a “Following” feed to view posts only from people they follow.
Instagram also offers a “Favorites” feed, which displays posts from users marked as favorites in the app.
In recent times, Instagram has faced criticism and legal challenges related to privacy, security, and its impact on users’ mental health, especially among children and teenagers.
Several U.S. states filed lawsuits against Meta, Instagram’s parent company, accusing it of deceptive practices and knowingly making social media platforms like Instagram more addictive for young users, which has been linked to various negative outcomes.
These issues highlight the ongoing debate around the role and responsibility of social media platforms.