Last year, the company began testing a home feed without the Shop tab. Beginning in February, the main navigation of the app will look different for all users.
Instagram users' home feeds will soon have a new navigation bar.Instagram will remove the shopping tab from the main bar at the bottom of the screen starting next month, and the button to create a new post will be moved down. The Reels tab, which is currently at the top of the navigation bar, will replace the Shop tab.
Back in September, Instagram began testing a main feed without a shopping button, claiming that it wanted to "simplify [the] Instagram experience" for users. According to The Information, the test was part of a larger pivot by Instagram as the company pulled back on its shopping features. Even without the prominent shortcut on the home feed, the company says shopping will remain a part of Instagram.
"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 the feed, stories, reels, ads, and more," the company said in a support page article.
Instagram, like other platforms, has invested in shopping tools to encourage users to shop within the app. The Instagram shopping tab is currently filled with personalized product recommendations, which The Information predicted would disappear last fall. Instagram has not stated what will happen to the personalized shopping page after the redesign next month.
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