The feature was intended as a test but was released widely by mistake, the head of Instagram said. Closing and reopening the app turns it off.
Instagram briefly changed how users moved through their feeds Thursday morning, forcing them to swipe left or tap through horizontally rather than scroll vertically.
On Twitter, Instagram users immediately expressed their disappointment with the app’s new feature.
The update, which was quickly reversed, appeared to affect iPhone users but not those with Androids or those using the app on desktop.
In a series of tweets, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, explained that the new feature was a “test” that was released widely by mistake.
