It has been reported that popular photo-sharing platform Instagram is currently testing a couple of tweaks to the format of the app.
The first change currently in testing is an update to the format and the layout of content on the platform. At present, photos in a user’s profile appear in columns of three. However, some users have been reporting a format change to grids of four columns.
Usually, this would not be an issue to anyone, other than to those who are reluctant to accept change. If this change were to happen on a permanent basis, then it may seem unusual in the first instance before users gradually adapted and accepted the four-column grids.
However, some Instagram users are so caught up in the aesthetics of the three-column grid that this change would be catastrophic. Some have spent plenty of time perfecting the way their profiles look and, with some clever posting, a nine-post mosaic style image can be perfectly uploaded. Should these changes occur, then this would instantly be ruined. Perhaps the platform will take this into account before deciding whether to universally roll out this update.
The second change the Facebook-owned service is planning may have more of an effect on the whole Instagram user base. Instagram lets users know which account follows them by adding a little “follows you” label at the top of the profile. This is quite handy for those who wish to check the account follows them or not, and the app also notifies users when an account starts to follow them.
Unfollowing has always been something of a more subtle and secretive action. The label on the other account just vanishes and the user’s followers count will drop by one. Only the eagle-eyed user would notice this, but Instagram is now testing a curveball to the unfollowing game that may put a strain on some relationships.
Instagram is believed to be testing adding a notification that tells users in black and white that they have been unfollowed. This means that in the same way as following an account, the user will begin to receive notifications that they have also been unfollowed. What a pleasant message to receive!
This could lead to some rather awkward conversations and arguments between friends, spouses, colleagues and acquaintances, so it may be best to be careful who you unfollow should this feature roll out on a permanent worldwide basis.
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