Instagram expands carousels to 20 items and makes Views its primary metric; Facebook softens first-strike policy

Instagram is rolling out two significant changes. Carousel posts can now include up to 20 photos and videos, double the previous limit of 10 and closing in on TikTok, which allows posts of as many as 35 photos. Carousels let the algorithm test which image or video draws the best response and then favor that one in the feed. Second, Views becomes the primary metric across all formats - reels, live, photos, carousels, and stories - counting every time a reel starts to play or replay and every time other content appears on a screen. A view registers from the first millisecond, so the unified metric will likely push reported reach numbers up.

Separately, Facebook is introducing a warning-and-education experience for most first-time Community Standards violators, beginning with Professional Mode users. Rather than immediately issuing a formal warning, the company will offer training designed to help people learn from their mistakes, acknowledging that users cannot be expected to know every policy.