Maya Robertson
Instagram is working on changes that will soon offer users a revamped navigation bar in their home feed.
Starting in February, the popular social media app will remove the Store tab from the main bar at the bottom of the screen and bring the Create button (plus sign “+”) back to the front and center of the bottom navigation bar. The Reels tab, currently in the front and middle of the navigation bar, will replace the Store tab.
In 2018, Instagram rolled out new shopping features in its mobile app to allow users to purchase products they see in photos and videos. In an attempt to take these features even further, the company added a new Shop tab to its app’s home screen in 2020.
In September, the company started experimenting with a main feed without a Shop button, claiming it intended to “simplify the Instagram experience” for users. The Information, however, claims that the test was a part of a bigger Instagram strategy as the firm scaled back its shopping features to focus on advertising. Still, Instagram claims that it will still have shopping despite the absence of the clear shortcut to the main feed.
“You will still be able to set up and run your shop on Instagram as we continue to invest in shopping experiences that provide the most value for people and businesses across feed, stories, reels, ads and more,” the company said in a support page.
“The navigation is changing in February to make it easier for people to create, be entertained and connect with friends over the things they love,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in an Instagram post explaining the new navigation.
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