This might be why some Instagram videos appear low-quality

With smartphone cameras getting better every year, many social media users expect their content to look as sharp online as it does on their device screens. Instagram has even been quick to adopt cutting-edge technology like Ultra HDR for Android, a move announced in a recent blog post by Google that promises a richer visual experience for users. The Ultra HDR feature enables videos and photos to display more vibrant colors and higher contrast, which looks especially stunning on high-end devices with HDR-capable displays. But despite these advancements, Instagram doesn’t always showcase this quality consistently across the board.

According to Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, the platform’s approach to video quality varies based on viewership. In a recent AMA, Mosseri explained that while Instagram strives to show high-quality content, videos often start with basic encoding to conserve resources. Only if a video gains traction does Instagram reprocess it in higher quality, making it look sharper and more vibrant. So, even if you’ve captured a beautiful HDR video on your phone, it might not initially look its best on Instagram unless it starts attracting more views. Here’s the video shared on Threads.

Post by @lindseygamble_

View on Threads

Another key factor, Mosseri shared, is the viewer’s internet connection. If Instagram detects a weak connection, it will prioritize loading the video quickly over displaying it at its highest quality to avoid buffering. This means that if you’re on a slower network or a spotty connection, the video quality might look lower than expected, even if the video itself is high resolution.

This balancing act, Mosseri noted, is Instagram’s way of handling the massive volume of videos uploaded daily. While this approach makes sense from a technical perspective, it does mean that content quality on Instagram doesn’t solely rely on the device used to capture it. Instead, it’s partly determined by the video’s popularity, which can be frustrating for creators with high-end cameras.

This approach can be frustrating for creators and viewers alike — especially when content from high-end cameras and HDR displays doesn’t get the quality showcase it deserves. For now, Instagram is focused on balancing resource efficiency and user experience, delivering higher quality when both the video’s popularity and the viewer’s connection support it. So, if your video doesn’t look quite as polished as it did on your phone, it might just be waiting for more views or a stronger signal.

Meanwhile, Meta recently disabled Instagram and Threads accounts that track private jets of politicians, tech moguls, and other celebs. If interested, this article has more details.