feat: mobile opens posts as a scrolling feed instead of a modal

Tapping a post on a phone now opens a real feed page — header, media, actions,
caption, next post peeking in below — scrolled with the browser's own vertical
scrolling rather than swipe gestures. Desktop keeps the modal, where a centred
sheet with side arrows suits a pointer.

Only a window of posts is mounted: a profile here holds up to 1129 posts and
mounting them all would mean as many full-size images. The window grows in both
directions as you scroll. Growing upwards shifts everything below it, so the
scroll offset is corrected in the same frame, before paint — measured against
the real archive, an anchored post moves exactly one screen per scroll with no
jump.

Only the post crossing the viewport centre plays its video; the rest stay
paused, so a feed of reels doesn't play ten at once. The URL tracks that same
post, so scrolling updates /<archive>/p/<shortcode>/ the way Instagram does,
and the back button returns to the grid with its scroll position intact.

Feed video sizes to the container width rather than its intrinsic size: a
<video> reports 300x150 until metadata loads, which made it render narrow and
then jump to full width. It also gets a taller height ceiling than the modal so
ordinary portrait media fills the width instead of sitting in side bars.

The carousel is extracted into a shared MediaCarousel used by both surfaces, so
horizontal paging behaves identically; touch-action keeps vertical scrolling
passing through to the feed. PostModal loses its now-dead mobile swipe branch.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_011uBWhwV3wFQ5MBCcMHHem7

package-lock.json

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "instaarchive-viewer",
-  "version": "1.4.0",
+  "version": "1.5.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "instaarchive-viewer",
-      "version": "1.4.0",
+      "version": "1.5.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@tailwindcss/vite": "^4.1.14",
         "@vitejs/plugin-react": "^5.0.4",

package.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "instaarchive-viewer",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "1.4.0",
+  "version": "1.5.0",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite --port=3000 --host=0.0.0.0",

src/App.tsx

@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ import { CacheData, Post, ServerArchive, ServerArchiveFile } from './types';
 import { ArchiveDashboard } from './components/ArchiveDashboard';
 import { StoryViewer } from './components/StoryViewer';
 import { PostModal } from './components/PostModal';
+import { PostFeed } from './components/PostFeed';
+import { useIsMobile } from './hooks/useIsMobile';
 import { PostThumbnail } from './components/PostThumbnail';
 import { useArchiveScanner } from './hooks/useArchiveScanner';
 import { useThumbnailQueue } from './hooks/useThumbnailQueue';
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ export default function App() {
    */
   const initialRouteRef = useRef(parseRoute(window.location.pathname, window.location.search));
 
+  const isMobile = useIsMobile();
   const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
   const profilePicInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
 
@@ -549,6 +552,20 @@ export default function App() {
         )}
       </main>
 
+      {/*
+        Mobile opens a real scrolling feed page, the way Instagram does; desktop
+        keeps the modal, where a centred sheet with side arrows fits the pointer.
+      */}
+      {selectedPost && isMobile ? (
+        <PostFeed
+          posts={filteredPosts}
+          initialPostId={selectedPost.id}
+          profilePic={profilePic}
+          title={activeTab === 'reels' ? 'Reels' : 'Posts'}
+          onClose={() => setSelectedPost(null)}
+          onActivePostChange={setSelectedPost}
+        />
+      ) : (
         <AnimatePresence>
           {selectedPost && (
             <PostModal
@@ -564,6 +581,7 @@ export default function App() {
             />
           )}
         </AnimatePresence>
+      )}
       <AnimatePresence>{showStoryViewer && allStories.length > 0 && <StoryViewer stories={allStories} onClose={() => setShowStoryViewer(false)} profilePic={profilePic} />}</AnimatePresence>
       <AnimatePresence>
         {activeHighlight && (

src/components/FeedPost.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { Bookmark, Heart, MessageCircle, MoreHorizontal, Send } from 'lucide-react';
+import { Post } from '../types';
+import { formatDateSafe } from '../lib/utils';
+import { MediaCarousel } from './MediaCarousel';
+
+interface FeedPostProps {
+  post: Post;
+  profilePic: string | null;
+  /** Off-screen posts keep their video paused. */
+  paused: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * One post in the mobile feed, laid out like Instagram's: header, media,
+ * action row, then caption.
+ *
+ * Media is capped below full viewport height so the next post always peeks in
+ * at the bottom — that overlap is what tells you the page scrolls rather than
+ * pages.
+ */
+export const FeedPost: React.FC<FeedPostProps> = ({ post, profilePic, paused }) => (
+  <article className="bg-white border-b border-gray-200">
+    <header className="flex items-center justify-between px-3 py-2.5">
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2.5 min-w-0">
+        <div className="w-8 h-8 rounded-full bg-gradient-to-tr from-yellow-400 to-purple-600 p-0.5 shrink-0">
+          <div className="w-full h-full rounded-full bg-white p-0.5">
+            <div className="w-full h-full rounded-full bg-gray-200 overflow-hidden flex items-center justify-center text-[10px] font-bold uppercase">
+              {profilePic
+                ? <img src={profilePic} alt="" className="w-full h-full object-cover" referrerPolicy="no-referrer" />
+                : <span>{post.username[0]}</span>}
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <span className="font-semibold text-sm truncate">{post.username}</span>
+      </div>
+      <MoreHorizontal size={20} className="text-gray-500 shrink-0" />
+    </header>
+
+    {/*
+      Taller ceiling than the modal so ordinary portrait media (9:16 reels,
+      4:5 photos) fills the feed width instead of sitting in side bars, while
+      still stopping anything extreme from swallowing the screen.
+    */}
+    <MediaCarousel post={post} paused={paused} heightCap="max-h-[85vh]" fillWidth className="bg-black" />
+
+    <div className="px-3 pt-3 pb-1 flex items-center justify-between">
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-4">
+        <Heart size={24} className="cursor-pointer" />
+        <MessageCircle size={24} className="cursor-pointer" />
+        <Send size={24} className="cursor-pointer" />
+      </div>
+      <Bookmark size={24} className="cursor-pointer" />
+    </div>
+
+    {post.caption && (
+      <div className="px-3 pb-1 text-sm">
+        <span className="font-semibold mr-2">{post.username}</span>
+        <span className="whitespace-pre-wrap">{post.caption}</span>
+      </div>
+    )}
+
+    <div className="px-3 pb-3 pt-1 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wide text-gray-400">
+      {formatDateSafe(post.date, 'MMMM d, yyyy')}
+    </div>
+  </article>
+);

src/components/MediaCarousel.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { ChevronLeft, ChevronRight } from 'lucide-react';
+import { motion, AnimatePresence } from 'motion/react';
+import { Post } from '../types';
+import { cn } from '../lib/utils';
+import { NAVIGATE, prefersReducedMotion, withVelocity } from '../lib/motion';
+import { MediaRenderer } from './MediaRenderer';
+
+interface MediaCarouselProps {
+  post: Post;
+  /** Pause video even when this slide is on screen (feed: only one plays). */
+  paused?: boolean;
+  /** Override the media height ceiling (the feed allows taller media). */
+  heightCap?: string;
+  /** Size video to the container width (see MediaRenderer). */
+  fillWidth?: boolean;
+  className?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The horizontal slide strip for one post.
+ *
+ * Shared by the desktop modal and the mobile feed so a carousel behaves the
+ * same in both. Horizontal drag belongs to the carousel and never navigates
+ * between posts — vertical movement is the page's to handle.
+ */
+export const MediaCarousel: React.FC<MediaCarouselProps> = ({ post, paused, heightCap, fillWidth, className }) => {
+  const [index, setIndex] = useState(0);
+  const [slide, setSlide] = useState<{ dir: number; velocity: number }>({ dir: 0, velocity: 0 });
+  const reduceMotion = prefersReducedMotion();
+
+  useEffect(() => setIndex(0), [post.id]);
+
+  const paginate = (dir: number, velocity = 0) => {
+    const next = index + dir;
+    if (next < 0 || next >= post.media.length) return;
+    setSlide({ dir, velocity });
+    setIndex(next);
+  };
+
+  const variants = {
+    enter: (d: number) => ({ x: d > 0 ? '100%' : '-100%', opacity: 1, zIndex: 0 }),
+    center: { x: 0, opacity: 1, zIndex: 1 },
+    exit: (d: number) => ({ x: d < 0 ? '100%' : '-100%', opacity: 1, zIndex: 0 }),
+  };
+  const swipePower = (offset: number, velocity: number) => Math.abs(offset) * velocity;
+  const current = post.media[index];
+
+  return (
+    <div className={cn('relative bg-black flex items-center justify-center group overflow-hidden w-full', className)}>
+      <div className="w-full grid grid-cols-1 grid-rows-1">
+        <AnimatePresence initial={false} custom={slide.dir}>
+          <motion.div
+            key={`${post.id}-${index}`}
+            custom={slide.dir}
+            variants={variants}
+            initial="enter"
+            animate="center"
+            exit="exit"
+            transition={reduceMotion ? { duration: 0 } : withVelocity(slide.velocity, NAVIGATE)}
+            drag={post.media.length > 1 ? 'x' : false}
+            dragDirectionLock
+            dragConstraints={{ left: 0, right: 0 }}
+            dragElastic={0.5}
+            onDragEnd={(e, { offset, velocity }) => {
+              const power = swipePower(offset.x, velocity.x);
+              if (power < -15000) paginate(1, velocity.x);
+              else if (power > 15000) paginate(-1, velocity.x);
+            }}
+            className="col-start-1 row-start-1 w-full flex items-center justify-center relative touch-pan-y"
+          >
+            {current && <MediaRenderer file={current} isFullView paused={paused} heightCap={heightCap} fillWidth={fillWidth} />}
+          </motion.div>
+        </AnimatePresence>
+      </div>
+
+      {post.media.length > 1 && (
+        <>
+          {index > 0 && (
+            <button
+              aria-label="Previous photo"
+              onClick={(e) => { e.stopPropagation(); paginate(-1); }}
+              className="hidden md:block absolute left-4 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 bg-white/20 hover:bg-white/40 text-white p-2 rounded-full backdrop-blur-md transition-all opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 z-30"
+            >
+              <ChevronLeft size={24} />
+            </button>
+          )}
+          {index < post.media.length - 1 && (
+            <button
+              aria-label="Next photo"
+              onClick={(e) => { e.stopPropagation(); paginate(1); }}
+              className="hidden md:block absolute right-4 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 bg-white/20 hover:bg-white/40 text-white p-2 rounded-full backdrop-blur-md transition-all opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 z-30"
+            >
+              <ChevronRight size={24} />
+            </button>
+          )}
+          <div className="absolute bottom-4 left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 flex gap-1.5 z-30">
+            {post.media.map((_, i) => (
+              <div
+                key={i}
+                className={cn(
+                  'w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full transition-all',
+                  i === index ? 'bg-blue-500 scale-125' : 'bg-white/40 shadow-sm',
+                )}
+              />
+            ))}
+          </div>
+        </>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
+};

src/components/MediaRenderer.tsx

@@ -3,7 +3,25 @@ import { Play, Volume2, VolumeX } from 'lucide-react';
 import { MediaFile } from '../types';
 import { cn } from '../lib/utils';
 
-export const MediaRenderer = ({ file, className, isFullView }: { file: MediaFile; className?: string; isFullView?: boolean }) => {
+interface MediaRendererProps {
+  file: MediaFile;
+  className?: string;
+  isFullView?: boolean;
+  /** Hold playback: the feed keeps every off-screen video paused. */
+  paused?: boolean;
+  /** Cap media height to this instead of the default full-view ceiling. */
+  heightCap?: string;
+  /**
+   * Size video to the container width rather than its own intrinsic size.
+   *
+   * A <video> reports 300x150 until metadata loads, so `w-auto` makes it render
+   * narrow and then jump to full width. The feed needs a stable width more than
+   * it needs a snug fit.
+   */
+  fillWidth?: boolean;
+}
+
+export const MediaRenderer = ({ file, className, isFullView, paused, heightCap, fillWidth }: MediaRendererProps) => {
   // Try to play with sound: opening the modal is a user gesture, so browsers
   // generally allow it. If this particular browser still refuses, the effect
   // below falls back to muted playback rather than leaving a stalled video.
@@ -14,6 +32,11 @@ export const MediaRenderer = ({ file, className, isFullView }: { file: MediaFile
     const video = videoRef.current;
     if (!video || file.type !== 'video') return;
 
+    if (paused) {
+      video.pause();
+      return;
+    }
+
     let cancelled = false;
     video.muted = false;
     video.play().catch(() => {
@@ -24,7 +47,7 @@ export const MediaRenderer = ({ file, className, isFullView }: { file: MediaFile
     });
 
     return () => { cancelled = true; };
-  }, [file.url, file.type]);
+  }, [file.url, file.type, paused]);
   /**
    * In full view the media must never outgrow the viewport.
    *
@@ -36,8 +59,11 @@ export const MediaRenderer = ({ file, className, isFullView }: { file: MediaFile
    * The desktop cap subtracts the modal's own padding (md:p-10 = 2.5rem each
    * side); mobile leaves room for the caption panel stacked underneath.
    */
-  const fullViewCap = "max-h-[70vh] md:max-h-[calc(100vh-5rem)] object-contain";
-  const videoSizing = isFullView ? `block w-auto max-w-full ${fullViewCap}` : "w-full h-full object-cover";
+  const fullViewCap = `${heightCap ?? 'max-h-[70vh] md:max-h-[calc(100vh-5rem)]'} object-contain`;
+  const videoFullView = fillWidth
+    ? `block w-full h-auto ${fullViewCap}`
+    : `block w-auto max-w-full ${fullViewCap}`;
+  const videoSizing = isFullView ? videoFullView : "w-full h-full object-cover";
   const imageSizing = isFullView ? `block w-full h-auto ${fullViewCap}` : "w-full h-full object-cover";
   const sizingClass = file.type === 'video' ? videoSizing : imageSizing;
   const mediaStyle = { transform: 'translateZ(0)' };

src/components/PostFeed.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { ChevronLeft } from 'lucide-react';
+import { Post } from '../types';
+import { FeedPost } from './FeedPost';
+
+interface PostFeedProps {
+  posts: Post[];
+  /** Post the feed should open at. */
+  initialPostId: string;
+  profilePic: string | null;
+  onClose: () => void;
+  /** Fires as the post crossing the viewport centre changes. */
+  onActivePostChange: (post: Post) => void;
+  title?: string;
+}
+
+/** Posts added each time the feed grows in either direction. */
+const BATCH = 6;
+/** Render this many ahead of the entry point so the first scroll is smooth. */
+const LOOKAHEAD = 3;
+
+/**
+ * The mobile post view: a real scrolling feed, not a modal.
+ *
+ * Only a window of posts around the entry point is mounted — a profile can hold
+ * thousands, and mounting them all would mean thousands of full-size images.
+ * The window grows in both directions as you scroll; growing *upwards* shifts
+ * everything below it, so the scroll position is corrected in the same frame to
+ * keep the content under your thumb still.
+ */
+export const PostFeed: React.FC<PostFeedProps> = ({
+  posts, initialPostId, profilePic, onClose, onActivePostChange, title,
+}) => {
+  const initialIndex = useMemo(() => {
+    const found = posts.findIndex(p => p.id === initialPostId);
+    return found === -1 ? 0 : found;
+  }, [posts, initialPostId]);
+
+  const [range, setRange] = useState(() => ({
+    start: initialIndex,
+    end: Math.min(posts.length, initialIndex + LOOKAHEAD + 1),
+  }));
+  const [activeId, setActiveId] = useState(initialPostId);
+
+  const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const topSentinelRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const bottomSentinelRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  /** Distance from the bottom of the content, captured before a prepend. */
+  const anchorRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+
+  const visible = posts.slice(range.start, range.end);
+
+  const extendDown = useCallback(() => {
+    setRange(r => (r.end >= posts.length ? r : { ...r, end: Math.min(posts.length, r.end + BATCH) }));
+  }, [posts.length]);
+
+  const extendUp = useCallback(() => {
+    const el = scrollRef.current;
+    if (!el) return;
+    setRange(r => {
+      if (r.start === 0) return r;
+      // Measure from the bottom: prepending changes scrollHeight, but the
+      // distance between our position and the end of the content does not.
+      anchorRef.current = el.scrollHeight - el.scrollTop;
+      return { ...r, start: Math.max(0, r.start - BATCH) };
+    });
+  }, []);
+
+  // Restore the scroll position in the same frame the prepended posts appear,
+  // before the browser paints, so nothing visibly jumps.
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    const el = scrollRef.current;
+    if (el && anchorRef.current !== null) {
+      el.scrollTop = el.scrollHeight - anchorRef.current;
+      anchorRef.current = null;
+    }
+  }, [range.start]);
+
+  // Grow the window when either end comes into view.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const root = scrollRef.current;
+    if (!root) return;
+    const observer = new IntersectionObserver(entries => {
+      for (const entry of entries) {
+        if (!entry.isIntersecting) continue;
+        if (entry.target === bottomSentinelRef.current) extendDown();
+        if (entry.target === topSentinelRef.current) extendUp();
+      }
+    }, { root, rootMargin: '600px 0px' });
+
+    if (topSentinelRef.current) observer.observe(topSentinelRef.current);
+    if (bottomSentinelRef.current) observer.observe(bottomSentinelRef.current);
+    return () => observer.disconnect();
+  }, [extendDown, extendUp]);
+
+  // Track the post crossing the viewport centre. The negative margins collapse
+  // the root to a thin band, so exactly one post qualifies at a time.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const root = scrollRef.current;
+    if (!root) return;
+    const observer = new IntersectionObserver(entries => {
+      for (const entry of entries) {
+        if (!entry.isIntersecting) continue;
+        const id = (entry.target as HTMLElement).dataset.postId;
+        if (id) setActiveId(id);
+      }
+    }, { root, rootMargin: '-45% 0px -45% 0px', threshold: 0 });
+
+    root.querySelectorAll('[data-post-id]').forEach(el => observer.observe(el));
+    return () => observer.disconnect();
+  }, [visible.length, range.start]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const post = posts.find(p => p.id === activeId);
+    if (post) onActivePostChange(post);
+  }, [activeId, posts, onActivePostChange]);
+
+  // Escape closes, matching the modal it replaces.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const onKey = (e: KeyboardEvent) => { if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose(); };
+    window.addEventListener('keydown', onKey);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', onKey);
+  }, [onClose]);
+
+  return (
+    <div className="fixed inset-0 z-50 bg-white flex flex-col">
+      <header className="flex items-center gap-3 px-2 h-12 border-b border-gray-200 bg-white/95 backdrop-blur-md shrink-0">
+        <button onClick={onClose} aria-label="Back" className="p-2 -ml-1 active:opacity-60">
+          <ChevronLeft size={24} />
+        </button>
+        <span className="font-semibold text-base">{title ?? 'Posts'}</span>
+      </header>
+
+      <div ref={scrollRef} className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto overscroll-contain">
+        <div ref={topSentinelRef} aria-hidden />
+        {visible.map(post => (
+          <div key={post.id} data-post-id={post.id}>
+            <FeedPost post={post} profilePic={profilePic} paused={post.id !== activeId} />
+          </div>
+        ))}
+        <div ref={bottomSentinelRef} aria-hidden />
+        {range.end >= posts.length && (
+          <div className="py-10 text-center text-xs uppercase tracking-widest text-gray-400">
+            End of {title?.toLowerCase() ?? 'posts'}
+          </div>
+        )}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+};

src/components/PostModal.tsx

@@ -126,44 +126,12 @@ export const PostModal: React.FC<PostModalProps> = ({
   };
   const swipePower = (offset: number, velocity: number) => Math.abs(offset) * velocity;
 
-  /** Gesture navigation is touch-shaped below md; above it the arrows do the job. */
-  const [isMobile, setIsMobile] = useState(
-    () => typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.matchMedia('(max-width: 767px)').matches,
-  );
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const query = window.matchMedia('(max-width: 767px)');
-    const onChange = (e: MediaQueryListEvent) => setIsMobile(e.matches);
-    query.addEventListener('change', onChange);
-    return () => query.removeEventListener('change', onChange);
-  }, []);
-
   /**
-   * Vertical swipe moves between posts on touch, matching Instagram: horizontal
-   * belongs to the carousel and only the carousel, so reaching the last slide
-   * no longer flings you into the next post.
-   *
-   * Swiping down on the first post falls back to dismissing, which keeps the
-   * familiar drag-to-close gesture available where it can't mean "previous".
+   * Desktop-only surface: mobile opens PostFeed instead, so the only vertical
+   * gesture left here is drag-to-dismiss.
    */
-  const SWIPE_DISTANCE = 90;
-  const SWIPE_POWER = 8000;
-
   const handleVerticalDragEnd = (offset: { y: number }, velocity: { y: number }) => {
-    const power = swipePower(offset.y, velocity.y);
-
-    if (!isMobile) {
     if (offset.y > 200 || velocity.y > 800) onClose();
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const swipedUp = offset.y < -SWIPE_DISTANCE || power < -SWIPE_POWER;
-    const swipedDown = offset.y > SWIPE_DISTANCE || power > SWIPE_POWER;
-
-    if (swipedUp && hasNextPost) goToPost(1, 'y', velocity.y);
-    else if (swipedDown) {
-      if (hasPrevPost) goToPost(-1, 'y', velocity.y);
-      else onClose();
-    }
   };
 
   /*

src/hooks/useIsMobile.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+/** Matches Tailwind's `md` breakpoint, the point where the layout splits. */
+const MOBILE_QUERY = '(max-width: 767px)';
+
+/**
+ * True on phone-sized viewports.
+ *
+ * Drives more than styling: mobile opens posts as a scrollable feed page while
+ * desktop uses the modal, so this needs to be real state rather than a CSS
+ * media query.
+ */
+export const useIsMobile = () => {
+  const [isMobile, setIsMobile] = useState(
+    () => typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.matchMedia(MOBILE_QUERY).matches,
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const query = window.matchMedia(MOBILE_QUERY);
+    const onChange = (e: MediaQueryListEvent) => setIsMobile(e.matches);
+    query.addEventListener('change', onChange);
+    setIsMobile(query.matches);
+    return () => query.removeEventListener('change', onChange);
+  }, []);
+
+  return isMobile;
+};