Instagram gives up IGTV's portrait-only format, you can now upload horizontal videos too

Last year, Instagram took a “bold” step by launching a new-format video feature: IGTV. Bold, because, as the company co-founder Kevin Systrom reportedly said, “Instagram took a stand and tried a brand new thing that is frankly hard to pull off”. Instagram was evidently proud of the mobile-only full-screens vertical video. Cut to 365 (or so) days later, and Instagram seems to have surrendered the landscape status quo. [caption id=“attachment_6693891” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”]  Image: Instagram[/caption] Per a report by TechCrunch, users can now upload traditional horizontal landscape videos on IGTV as well. Similar to most other video-viewing platforms, users on Instagram will be able to turn their phones sideways to be shown full-screen videos. This change applies to both IGTV’s standalone app and the hub within the main Instagram app. And how does Instagram explain this “bold” shift?: “Ultimately, our vision is to make IGTV a destination for great content no matter how it’s shot so creators can express themselves how they want . . . . In many ways, opening IGTV to more than just vertical videos is similar to when we opened Instagram to more than just square photos in 2015. It enabled creativity to flourish and engagement to rise – and we believe the same will happen again with IGTV,” TechCrunch reports. Additionally, there are some other changes being made to the feature as well. Another report earlier this week revealed that Instagram’s IGTV feature is going through some drastic design overhaul, with a simpler UI and single feed of content suggested by algorithms. The side-scrolling interface along the bottom of the IGTV videos will now be removed, and Instagram will apparently also be dropping the IGTV categories entirely. Instagram has been trying for a while to push its audience a little more towards IGTV. Earlier this year, for iOS users, and then eventually to the Android app, Instagram started  inserting IGTV video previews directly into user feed. In addition to that, the new IGTV design apparently also borrows from Snapchat’s Discover feed. Instagram is ditched its horizontal scrolling design that always kept a clip playing in the top half of the screen. Reportedly, once you are done watching a video that auto-plays up top, you’ll find a full-screen grid of things to watch.