Noticing that Instagram videos appear blurry lately? This could be because the platform lowers video quality based on how popular the content is, as admitted by Instagram’s leader.

Adam Mosseri, who leads the social media platform, shared in a user-centric “Ask Me Anything” session that the quality of videos for reels or stories posted on Instagram can fluctuate over time.

The clarity of the video is influenced by its reach.

According to Mosseri, “If something isn’t viewed for a while — since most views happen soon after posting, we will switch to a lower quality video,” he stated in a recorded video segment. “If it gains traction and is watched more, we will revert to the high-quality version.”

This issue has been widely discussed on Threads in recent days and reported on by several media outlets, including The Verge.

Mosseri explained that the intention is to “provide people with the best quality content possible,” but some individuals are concerned that this strategy might disadvantage creators with smaller followings, making it harder for them to compete against more established creators, ultimately affecting their content quality.

Additionally, Mosseri noted that a slow internet connection could also result in lower quality video displays.

“We will present a lower quality video to ensure it loads faster rather than keeping users waiting. It’s quite a dynamic system,” Mosseri explained.

Quality Change ‘Isn’t Significant,’ Says Instagram Chief

Mosseri responded to a question from an Instagram user inquiring: “Do stories lose quality over time? Mine appear blurry in highlights.” This topic gained traction on Threads as well.

“Now it makes sense why my old videos look like they’re shot with a microwave,” remarked one user.

Mosseri addressed these concerns a day later, clarifying that the quality adjustment “operates on an overall basis, not for individual viewers.”

He stated, “We prioritize higher quality for creators with more views (which requires more processing power and expensive storage for larger files). It’s not a strict cutoff but rather a gradient,” he explained in a separate message.

While Mosseri acknowledged that the concerns were valid, he indicated in another message that “the quality change isn’t drastically noticeable” in practical terms. He said, “The interaction with videos is significantly more dependent on the content itself rather than the quality.” He suggested that quality seems to concern the original creator more, as they are more inclined to remove a video that appears poor than their audience is.

Many users felt dissatisfied with Mosseri’s additional explanations, with some noting that the platform’s strategy could discourage new content creators who haven’t established a sizable audience yet.

“This is a discouraging situation, especially if you’re focused on VIDEO CREATION and QUALITY is one of the reasons viewers follow you,” expressed one user. “That’s a significant concern for new video creators.”