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We have an image gallery and are stuck in choosing whether it should be vertical scroll like Instagram feed or horizontal scroll like viewing Facebook photos.

What are the pros and cons of both scroll types?

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    You should know who your users are and which device they use. Different brands have different conventions for their apps and I feel habits are (in this case) more important than any other consideration. Vertical scroll sould be more common but I'd verify this... Oct 6, 2015 at 14:55

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I think you may be looking for answers where you'll only find vague preferences.

Choosing vertical/horizontal scroll could depend on the following:

  • The other features of your application
  • The specific device being used and its established conventions/preferences
  • Similar industry examples/precedents

Horizontal Scroll:


Facebook's feed has vertical scroll in its "timeline" or "feed", but when you encounter a user that has uploaded multiple images, or logically grouped ads, they can be scrolled through horizontally. In this example, horizontal scroll is used to logically group content.

Left vs. Right

Backward vs. Forward

Not Attractive vs. Attractive (if you prefer Tinder terms)

Vertical Scroll:


Imgur photo libraries are scrolled through vertically. This is likely to create consistency with the desktop implementation. Vertical scroll is "easier" to make responsive, provides consistency across all devices (full-screen horizontal scroll on desktop being less common), and feels "agnostic" of making a decision.

Up vs. Down

Old vs. New

Others may feel differently -- hope this helps.

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