Instagram could soon be changing how you go through your friends’ stories on the platform. A new report suggests that the popular social media app could be bringing vertically scrolling stories, similar to how the app’s Reels works. The feature could replace the current stories layout which scrolls horizontally with new stories appearing on the right side of older ones.
While users have to tap on the right edge of the screen to go to the next story, and swipe to skip to the next Instagram user, the new feature will allow them to simply swipe up to go to the next profile. However, the list of stories will still be a vertical bar on the top and it will continue scrolling sideways.
Instagram is testing the new layout in Turkey, but it remains to be seen if and when the implementation will come to other regions. Note that since the feature is in testing, it may also be possible that Instagram decides to scrap it and stick to the horizontal stories layout.
🚨 Instagram is testing a vertical swipe stories feed in Turkey
h/t @yousufortaccom pic.twitter.com/KdJa9CTnTl
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) January 12, 2022
In other news, Instagram is also making its story-integration with Facebook tighter than ever. Instagram has now been offering to share your Instagram stories to Facebook for a while. Now, a new feature lets you check the views on both from the same spot if you choose to do that.
Now if you cross post your Instagram story to Facebook you can see both views in Instagram@MattNavarra pic.twitter.com/Reb6K9YLC5
— Ahmed Ghanem (@ahmedghanem) January 13, 2022
Instagram users who share their stories to Facebook, will now be able to see views from both platforms in Instagram itself, by opening that particular story and swiping up from it. However, the feature reportedly could have a limited rollout for now, so you may not see it immediately.
The addition takes a step closer to connecting Instagram and Facebook, which already support cross-platform messaging.
