What is Flipside?

Flipside actually creates another profile inside your existing profile. You no longer need to save a separate page to post exclusive content just to your closest friends.

Since 2018, Instagram has allowed users to create Stories designed for a limited audience of your choosing. In addition, the social network is currently testing the ability to create multiple access lists (as well as a “Close Friends” list), so you’ll soon be able to upload Stories for several different groups of followers. Also in November, the developers returned the ability to publish regular posts in the feed for the “Close friends” list, a function that was previously removed for some reason.

The new feature significantly expands these possibilities. Apart from “Close,” users can create a separate friends list, allowing them to access Flipside. They will then be able to choose where this or that content will be published – in the public profile or in the “Backside”. Flipside looks like another similar profile but has private content that no outsider can see. There will be both regular posts and Stories.

According to screenshots and videos posted on Threads, People will be able to find out if Flipside is available by seeing a key icon on their profile or on another person’s page. To access the hidden side, you need to scroll down (currently this action refreshes the page).

How does Flipside work: video

Instagram president Adam Mosseri had previously confirmed that such a feature was being worked on, but said that the developers were not yet sure whether this feature would be released. So even this test among real users does not mean that Flipside will be fully released for everyone or that it will be released in its current form.

Initial reactions seem mixed; While some are excited about the update because it brings more privacy, others are wondering why they need another profile. It’s a rather odd accusation, considering that no one forced it to work or even create it.

Meta’s obsession with creating “more private” spaces on Instagram is likely aimed at more than just convenience, social media researchers say. Over the past few years, Mosseri has repeatedly stated that Instagram users are not posting as much as they used to. For an app that relies heavily on ads in users’ feeds, this is far from ideal. So it’s no surprise that Instagram is looking for new ways to encourage people to spend more time posting and scrolling through their feeds.