Is Instagram Going Back to Photos in 2023? |

Is Instagram Going Back to Photos in 2023? 

Technically speaking, photos never left. 

However, Reels and suggested content have been prioritized by Instagram over the past few years. 

That said, following 2022’s “Make Instagram Great Again” campaign, the platform’s CEO,  Adam Mosseri, ensured that Instagram would stay committed to supporting photos:

And in an AMA earlier this year, he took that sentiment a step further:

“We were overfocused on video in 2022 and pushed ranking too far, and basically showed too many videos and not enough photos.

We’ve since balanced, so things like how often someone likes photos versus videos, and how often someone comments on photos versus videos are roughly equal — which is a good sign that things are balanced.” 

So, are things balanced? 

Some creators like Jade Beason and Lucas O’Keefe say yes, and have been encouraging their followers to post more photo content.

Jade specifically conducted an experiment (with the help of ’s scheduling tools!) and only posted photos over the course of 10 days. 

The result? “Whilst photos couldn’t compete with the reach I get from Reels, they received considerably more engagement.” 

And ’s social team has noticed a similar trend:  

“We post an average of 10 feed posts a week on Instagram — about half of which are photos. And while our Reels views have been fairly consistent over the past six months, we’ve seen a major shift with photo content. 

Between static images and carousel posts, their collective engagement rates have increased by 100%,” shares ’s Social Media Manager, Christine Colling. 

“While they’re not as high as our engagement rates in previous years, all signs currently point to photos entering their comeback season,” she adds. 

The takeaway? 

If you’re focused on brand awareness and reaching new audiences, Reels may still be the way to go. 

However, if engagement and community-building are your main goals, sharing more photos (static or carousel) to your feed could encourage deeper conversations with your followers. 

Will Instagram Reels Be Deprioritized for Photos and Carousel Posts? 

According to Adam Mosseri: No. 

Last month, he addressed this question via his Instagram Stories: 

“We’re not deprioritizing Reels. We still think Reels are incredibly important… But we think photos and carousels are also an important part of what we do at Instagram and they will continue to be – forever.”