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Instagram's Full-Screen Test Has Similar Vibes to TikTok

The new feature emphasizes video content over photos.

Nina Raemont Writer
A recent graduate of the University of Minnesota, Nina started at CNET writing breaking news stories before shifting to covering Security Security and other government benefit programs. In her spare time, she's in her kitchen, trying a new baking recipe.
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Nina Raemont
Instagram app logo on a phone screen
James Martin/CNET

Instagram is testing a full-screen immersive feed and updated navigation that seems to borrow a page from TikTok's playbook. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of parent company Meta, posted Thursday on his Instagram story that people can expect to see the test soon. 

"Photos are still an important part of Instagram, and we're working on ways to improve the way they show up in a full-screen Feed too," Zuckerberg said. 

Prior to this test, Instagram users would have to click into a video to access the full-screen version of it. The full-screen feed is similar to the feed of rival social app TikTok, which emphasizes video content over photos. 

The update to Instagram's feed comes as TikTok continues to rise in popularity among younger generations, according to a forecast from eMarketer. Last year, TikTok said it had more than 1 billion monthly active users. In April, Meta reported that its family of apps -- which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp -- had 2.87 billion daily users. 

Instagram has rolled out a slew of updates and new features already this year, including letting anyone on the app tag products in posts and Amber Alerts that let people see and share notices about missing children. In April, Instagram also reworked how it ranks content in order to elevate original posts. 

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