Instagram starts testing new ‘Flipside’ feature. Privacy Redefined!
Instagram's Flipside is testing the waters! A new realm for your private posts and exclusive content, tailored for a specially chosen circle of friends.
Instagram is currently testing a new feature called 'Flipside,' which essentially formalises the concept of 'finstas' - private, secondary accounts used for more personal sharing. The feature was confirmed by Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram. Flipside is designed to allow users to create a custom profile within their main Instagram account. This profile can have its own name, bio, and photo and is meant for sharing content exclusively with a selected group of followers.
The core idea of Flipside is to offer a secondary photo grid on a user's profile, visible only to a specially chosen group of friends. This group is different from the 'close friends' list that Instagram already offers. With Flipside, users can choose whether to post content to their main grid or this more private space. The existence of a Flipside is indicated by a key icon on the grid, but it's only visible to those who have access.
Despite its potential for enhanced privacy and content management, Flipside has raised some concerns about redundancy. Instagram already has features for private sharing, like the 'close friends' option for Stories and the ability to share feed posts with close friends. The question arises why another private sharing method is necessary, considering users can also create separate finsta accounts. This overlap in functionality has led to mixed reactions from users. Some welcome the convenience it offers, while others are skeptical about the need for another profile to manage.
The testing of Flipside doesn't ensure its public launch. Mosseri noted that the response to the test would determine whether the feature is introduced broadly. This move aligns with Instagram's strategy to create more private sharing spaces within the app, which might be part of an effort to increase user engagement and posting activity.
The development of Flipside is significant in the context of social media platforms being scrutinised for how they handle private content and child safety.
