Vertical Instagram Stories is Being Tested by Instagram

Instagram is slowly testing out vertical Instagram Stories making it more and more like TikTok every single day.

Posted 3 years ago

Written by

Mackenzie Taylor

Posted 3 years ago

Well, looks like Instagram is taking another tactic from TikTok and testing out a new way to view Instagram Stories—vertically.

#Instagram changed the way to switch between accounts stories@MattNavarra pic.twitter.com/yEatKESwJ8

— Ahmed Ghanem (@ahmedghanem) December 8, 2021

Yes, the vertical Instagram Stories feature will be similar to the Reels tab where instead of scrolling horizontally, you can now quickly scroll up and down. This might be the biggest reason why we no longer swipe up for links anymore … 🧐

If you’re wondering, “How do I skip through someone’s story quickly?” Don’t worry! That part of the viewing process is still the same! You can tap on the right side of the screen to skip forwards or tap the left side of the screen to go back just like before.

But now, you will need to swipe up to skip to the next person’s story. Do I think this might make it more confusing for people? Perhaps, but maybe that’s just me…

At the moment, it looks like vertical Instagram Stories are only being tested on certain users’ accounts and it’s unclear when (and if) this will be rolled out to all users.

What do you think? Do you think you’ll enjoy a swipe-up feature to view stories, or do you think IG should stick with swiping back and forth? Is the app turning too much into TikTok or do you think it’s taking just the right kind of ideas and tweaking them enough to make it their own? Let us know over on our Instagram!

Talk Social To Me

Get the latest social media gossip, memes, news and tips sent straight to your inbox.

More articles related to

Instagram Stories

Top 10 Top Hootsuite Alternatives in 2025

Discover the top Hootsuite alternatives in 2025. Find AI-driven tools for innovative content creation, strategy, and management. Flick Social and others offer advanced features to enhance your digital...

Mackenzie Taylor

7 months ago

How to Change Your Instagram Story Background Color

How to Change Your Instagram Story Background color in just a few simple steps – plus more tips on Instagram Story design!

Julia Cohen

10 months ago

Top 10 Top Sprout Social Alternatives in 2025

Discover the top Sprout Social alternatives in 2025! Explore our comprehensive guide for innovative features, user-friendly interfaces, and tools like Flick Social to elevate your social media strateg...

Mackenzie Taylor

7 months ago

Return to Blog Home