In a post on their Help Center, Instagram it was announced what will remove the Store tab from your app’s main navigation bar.
This change comes as a surprise, as the Store tab has been a part of the app since it was first introduced in November 2020.
Starting in February, the Create shortcut will be added to the central navigation of the app, replacing the current position of Reels. However, the Reels will not disappear from the main navigation bar, just scroll to the right and the Store will disappear.
Starting in February, we’re changing how Instagram navigates to make it easier for people to share and connect with their friends and interests. The navigation bar at the bottom of the app will now have the Create Content shortcut in the center and Moments on the right.
As part of this change, the Instagram Shop tab will be removed. You can continue to build and run your store on Instagram as we continue to invest in shopping experiences that deliver maximum value for people and businesses through feeds, stories, rolls, ads and more.
The company appears to be focusing on the shopping experience through Feed, Stories, Reels and Ads rather than a dedicated part of the app.
While Instagram claims the navigation change will happen in February, it hasn’t provided an exact date of when this will happen.
