Through qualitative research, we knew that people didn't join Instagram because our website was outdated, slow, and full of upsells.

I spent countless hours researching Apple App Clips and quickly found a solution: people could use Instagram features (such as the Reels tab or Camera) without installing anything on their phones. This would be beneficial to people who may not have an account but still want to "try" Instagram before joining.

Entrypoint

Users without the Instagram app installed get an entry point to the App Clip.

On mobile, tapping a link takes users directly into the experience instead of bringing them to the website.

On the mobile web, we show a contextual upsell that lets users enter the App Clip or stay in Safari.

Contextualized Upsells

Redesigned upsells that are based on the action a user takes.

Upsells also only trigger when a player takes an action, meeting them at their highest moment of intent.

End Card

At the end of the experience, we prompted users with an App Store card that let them install the Instagram app without leaving the experience.

Using data, I was able to identify that four videos were the sweet spot in our original experience where users converted the most. We applied that logic to the App Clip experience.

Bringing the Reels tab experience to non-users came with its challenges, but I wanted this experience to feel natural and true to the app.

I only made minor changes to the UI, while still incorporating growth elements such as upsells and a discovery experience. Ultimately, this experiment tested well with more than 396k people signing up for Instagram through this experience.