Meta seems to be on a path to force users across its platforms to use its AI services. Earlier this year the company brought its Meta AI to the search bar on Instagram and Facebook, and now it seems like the company wants users to interact with DMs using its AI-powered chatbot too.
Despite being an “image-sharing” platform, Instagram has oddly removed the camera icon from the message bar in DMs and has replaced it with a button to launch Meta AI. The purpose of this is to let users interact with each other using AI-generated text. You can make the text funnier, shorten it, be supportive, and add emojis, amongst other things. Here’s an image showing the new icon compared to the old setup:
As expected, many users aren’t fans of this decision to replace the camera icon with an AI chatbot. One frustrated user took to Reddit to highlight the change saying, “My camera button disappeared. How do I get rid of the metal AI?” Similarly, another user also wanted to know if there’s a way to remove the Meta AI icon asking, “How the hell do you get rid of this stupid AI button?”
What’s even more frustrating is the fact that there’s no way you can take and send an image to someone within the open chat itself. To send images, you now have to go back to the main page of your DMs and then tap the camera icon beside the profile of the person to whom you wish to send an image. The only other option you have is to send photos straight from your phone’s gallery.
As one user says, this decision “seems very counterintuitive,” since most people would want to click and share images rather than have a chatbot cook up words to chat with friends. Instagram hasn’t provided any option to bring back the camera icon either. That said, this function is still under testing. If you own two or more phones, you might notice that you still have the camera icon instead of Meta AI depending on your device. I have the old camera icon still on my iPhone, however, I have the Meta AI icon on two Android devices.
Android users could try installing an older Instagram APK, but this isn’t really a recommended workaround. Let’s just hope Instagram sees the wave of negative feedback and rethinks its plans of removing the camera icon in favor of the Meta AI function. At the very least, they could give users the option to decide what they want to see in the messages bar.
Dwayne Cubbins
392 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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