If you were feeling frustrated with your Instagram feed showing age-old posts and missing the fresh content from the people you follow instead, you weren’t alone.
Instagram changed its newsfeed algorithm in 2016 so that the stream of posts flowed similar to that of Facebook’s non-chronological order. Suddenly users were seeing Christmas Day photos on New Year’s Eve and have been vocal about the social media app changing the algorithm back to chronological order ever since. Now, Instagram has listened and will be adjusting the algorithm to "feel more fresh".
In a statement the company wrote: “Based on your feedback, we're also making changes to ensure that newer posts are more likely to appear first in feed. With these changes, your feed will feel more fresh, and you won't miss the moments you care about. So if your best friend shares a selfie from her vacation in Australia, it will be waiting for you when you wake up.”
Stepping back towards a chronological image feed isn’t the only change Instagram announced, as they also responded to the feedback from users who didn’t like being thrown back to the top of their feed every time it was refreshed – causing them to 'lose' their place.
“Today we’re testing a ‘New Posts’ button that lets you choose when you want to refresh, rather than it happening automatically,” Instagram added. “Tap the button and you’ll be taken to new posts at the top of feed—don’t tap, and you’ll stay where you are.”
The new algorithm and features are currently being tested in the Northern Hemisphere, with the changes expected to roll out in Australia shortly.
