Reasons why Instagram carousels sometimes start on the second slide

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has shared a brief video where he explains some aspects of interaction with posts on this social network. In this clip, Mosseri discusses how carousels work, highlighting the reason why the second image of a carousel may appear first while browsing. According to him, this can happen if you have already seen that post but haven't scrolled past it, giving it a chance to be shown again.

The head of Instagram mentions that “if someone views your post in carousel form but doesn’t scroll, we often give that carousel a second chance and automatically jump to the second content,” which increases its visibility. He also explains that carousels tend to reach a larger audience than single photo posts because having multiple elements increases interactions, which in turn translates into greater overall reach.

Mosseri also advises adding music to carousel posts in order to maximize their exposure. Regarding this, he states: “I highly recommend adding music so it can appear in video experiences, like the Reels tab.” However, he clarifies that it is not a requirement, though he suggests that if one is undecided between choosing a carousel or a photo, opting for the carousel is often more beneficial.