Instagram blames 'bug' for design change that prompted backlash

Published December 27, 2018
The redesign required users to swipe horizontally instead of the normal vertical scroll to see their feed. —Creative Commons
The redesign required users to swipe horizontally instead of the normal vertical scroll to see their feed. —Creative Commons

Instagram said on Thursday it accidentally rolled out a design change to a large number of users and quickly ended the test after complaints from users of the Facebook-owned social network.

The redesign required users to swipe horizontally instead of the normal vertical scroll to see their feed, befuddling many members of the photo- and video-sharing application, which has over one billion users worldwide.

The move ignited complaints on Twitter where the hashtag #InstagramUpdate became a top trending issue.

Twitter user Jeffree Star lamented “this #instagramupdate almost ruined my morning!!” while journalist Alex Heath of the online service Cheddar remarked that it “seems maybe intended to reduce mindless vertical scrolling?”

Adam Mosseri, who heads Instagram for Facebook, tweeted that the new design was “a test that went to a few orders of magnitude more people than intended.” “Sorry about that.”

Instagram said a short time later that it had rolled back the redesign to the normal vertical scroll.

“Due to a bug, some users saw a change to the way their feed appears today,” said an Instagram message posted on Twitter.

“We quickly fixed the issue and feed is back to normal. We apologize for any confusion.”

Some Instagram users remained upset over the glitch. “Never do it again pls “: tweeted one enraged user.

Opinion

Editorial

Pathways to peace
Updated 27 Apr, 2026

Pathways to peace

NEGOTIATIONS to hammer out the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement took nearly two years before a breakthrough was achieved....
Food-insecure nation
27 Apr, 2026

Food-insecure nation

A NEW UN-backed report has listed Pakistan among 10 countries where acute food insecurity is most concentrated. This...
Migration toll
27 Apr, 2026

Migration toll

THE world should not be deceived by a global migration count lower than the highest annual statistics on record —...
Immunity gap
Updated 26 Apr, 2026

Immunity gap

Pakistan’s Big Catch-Up campaign showed progress but also exposed the scale of gaps in routine immunisation.
Danger on repeat
26 Apr, 2026

Danger on repeat

DISASTERS have typically been framed as acts of nature. Of late, they look increasingly like tests of preparedness...
Loose lips
26 Apr, 2026

Loose lips

PAKISTANIS have by now gained something of an international reputation for their gallows humour, but it seems that...