Three weeks ago, we wrote that Instagram was testing the ability to share multiple photos and videos in a single post.
The feature was somewhat hidden in a beta release for Android (version 10.7.0 of the app) but it appears today that the feature is slowly being rolled out to all users on version 10.9! So starting today, you can now share up to 10 photos and videos in a single Instagram post. Here’s how to do it:
NOTE: You can now schedule multiple photo and video posts with Later! The feature is available on all paid plans, starting at $9/month.
How to Share Multiple Photos and Videos in a Single Post
When uploading to your feed, you should see a new “album” icon to select multiple photos and videos. From here, you can select up to 10 photos and videos from your phone’s library.
To adjust how each photo or video is cropped, tap it then touch the screen to adjust how it fits in the frame. Currently, you can only share posts as a square, not as a portrait or landscape. You can also apply filters to all the photos and videos you’ve selected, or just the ones you want.
To change the order of a photo or video, tap-and-hold and drag it to another spot. To remove a photo or video from your post, tap-and-hold and drag it to the “trash” icon at the top of the screen. When you’re done, tap “Next.”
You can add one location and caption for your entire post, and tag people in each individual photo. Tap “Tag People,” then swipe to find the photo you’d like to tag someone in. When you’re ready, tap “Share.”
In your feed, posts with multiple photos and videos will be represented by blue dots at the bottom, and you can “swipe to see more” like you would with an Instagram carousel ad. You can also like and comment on these posts like you normally would!
The Benefits of Sharing Multiple Photos and Videos
The ability to share multiple photos and videos in a single post should give users more flexibility to share relevant content without spamming their feeds. For example, you could share multiple photos from your wedding or a recent vacation!
For businesses, the new Instagram “albums” or “galleries” would be useful for when you want to share photos and videos from an event, or if you want to showcase a new product and have a mix of product and lifestyle shots. They could also be useful for step-by-step tutorials!
For businesses in the makeup or fashion industry, the feature could provide an opportunity to show how one product looks on different skin tones, or body types.
Understandably, there may be some confusion at first about whether you should share multiple photos and videos in a single Instagram post, or save them to post to Instagram Stories.
There’s also the possibility that this new feature is being used to normalize carousel ads. As users become more used to flipping through their friends’ Instagram galleries, they might be more likely to interact with carousel ads too!
What do you think of this new feature? Let us know in the comments if you would share multiple photos in a single post!
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