Instagram confirms it is working on an early prototype of a “Vertical Stories” feed, which is presented in a TikTok-like scrolling fashion
Context & Ripple Effects
Instagram had previously tested a disruptive horizontal-scrolling feed change and quickly characterized it as a test that reached more users than intended. The Vertical Stories prototype instead points to a familiar vertical interaction model, aligning with the platform's documented effort to regain teen users through recommendations and teen-focused creators.
The related coverage later shows Reddit adopting a TikTok-like video feed on iOS, placing Instagram's prototype within a broader move to make continuous video scrolling a standard social-app surface.
First-order effects
- Instagram is directing Stories product development toward a vertically scrolling feed, while TikTok becomes the explicit competitive reference point for that experience.
- Because Instagram describes the work as an early prototype, the reported change is a design and product-priority signal rather than a confirmed user-facing rollout.
Second-order effects
- If Instagram ships the format, TikTok and Instagram will compete more directly around the same continuous-scrolling consumption behavior, rather than around clearly distinct feed mechanics.
- Creators already making short-form video for TikTok would have a closer-format Instagram destination, increasing the importance of how each platform recommends and distributes their posts.
Third-order effects
- Reddit's subsequent adoption of a similar video feed suggests vertical, recommendation-led scrolling is becoming reusable social-product infrastructure rather than a TikTok-only interface pattern.
- As major platforms converge on the same feed structure, durable differentiation shifts toward recommendation quality and creator retention rather than the scrolling format itself.
The trend: Social platforms are standardizing on TikTok-like vertical video feeds while competing for advantage through recommendations and creator ecosystems.