It’s been weeks since news of Instagram galleries first surfaced and Instagram’s finally presented us the update. The slideshows are similar to what we know as the ‘carousel’ on Facebook and contains several photos and videos in one post, which followers can swipe through.
Here’s how it works: users can upload up to 10 photos and videos at the same time. When posting, they get a new option to select multiple photos or videos, which can be edited all at once or individually and changed in order. The first photo will be the one featured on the user’s feed, with an icon on the upper-right hand side of the post to indicate that there’s more to see. On the newsfeed, these will have tiny dots at the bottom, marking the number of images or videos that are in the post. At the moment, these posts can only have one caption and will be in square format, but the way Instagram positioned this limitation in their blog hints that they will be doing something about this soon.
This feature is perfect for events, or when one can’t decide which picture best to post. Although the carousel option has been available to advertisers for a while now, it will still be interesting to see how brands and influencers will incorporate this into their usual curated feeds.
On an email interview with Refinery 29, Instagram product manager Yichen Wang shared that this product was inspired by members of their community, who have told them that there are times they want to share more than just one moment at a go from a memorable experience. She said that the ability to upload multiple photos and videos within one post not only adds depth to those moments, but it also complements other products within the app, such as stories, in a way that makes it easier than ever to share highlights and everything in between on Instagram.
