About time! Instagram FINALLY brings back the chronological feed – six years after it was ditched in favour of a curated feed
- Until 2016, Instagram’s feed was chronological, with the newest at the top
- It then introduced an algorithmically sorted feed, much to users’ dismay
- Now, Instagram has launched two ways for users to see posts chronologically
- Following will show posts from people you follow in the order they were shared
- Favourites shows latest posts from up to 50 specific accounts that you choose
Since it was ditched in favour of a curated feed in 2016, a chronological feed has been one of the most highly requested features on Instagram.
Now, Instagram has finally announced the news that we’ve all been waiting for: the chronological feed is back.
Instagram is launching two new ways for users to catch up with their feed – Following and Favourites – which will show posts in chronological order.
‘In addition to your main home feed, we’re launching new options that let people choose to see posts in Feed from their favourite accounts, or from the accounts they follow, in chronological order,’ Instagram explained.
‘We want people to have meaningful control over their experience on Instagram and the content they see.’
Instagram is launching two new ways for users to catch up with their feed – Following and Favourites – which will show posts in chronological order
How to access the chronological options
1. Open the Instagram app
2. Tap the Instagram header at the top of the screen
3. Choose ‘Following’ to see posts from people you follow in the order they were shared
4. Choose ‘Favourites’ to see the latest posts from a list of up to 50 specific accounts that you choose
Instagram announced the news in a blog today, explaining the decision to reintroduce a chronological feed after six years.
‘People use their Instagram feed for different reasons — from discovering new creators in suggested posts to staying up to date with their friends and family,’ it explained.
‘We want people to feel good about the time they spend on Instagram, by giving them ways to shape their experience into what’s best for them.’
The chronological feed won’t be the same one that we knew back in 2015.
Instead, users will be able to pick from two new options, which can be accessed by tapping the ‘Instagram’ header at the top of the app – both of which will show posts in chronological order.
The first is called Following, and shows you posts from the people you follow in the order they were shared.
Meanwhile, Favourites will show you the latest posts from a list of specific acounts that you choose.
‘You can add up to 50 favourites, and make changes to your list at any time — people are not notified when they are added or removed,’ Instagram explained.
‘Posts from your favourites list will also show up higher in your home feed, as shown by a star icon.’
Meanwhile, the main Home feed will still be sorted algorithmically.
Ahead of the official announcement today, Instagram teased the news on Twitter with a wordsearch featuring the word ‘chronological’
How does the algorithmically sorted feed work?
Since 2016, the order of posts in the feed has been determined by an algorithm.
The algorithm takes several factors into account, including how likely you are to interact with it with likes or comments.
‘In Feed, the five interactions we look at most closely are how likely you are to spend a few seconds on a post, comment on it, like it, save it, and tap on the profile photo,’ Mr Mosseri explained.
‘The more likely you are to take an action, and the more heavily we weigh that action, the higher up you’ll see the post. We add and remove signals and predictions over time, working to get better at surfacing what you’re interested in.’
Instagram added: ‘Research shows that people are more satisfied with a ranked feed, so we are not defaulting people into a chronological feed experience.’
Ahead of the official announcement today, Instagram teased the news on Twitter with a wordsearch featuring the word ‘chronological.’
In response, one user wrote: ‘Thank god I got chronological order back on my instagram, finally something good in the world.’
Another user, who is a social media manager, added: ‘I am TIRED of interacting with people’s three-day old posts.’
And one joked: ‘It only took Instagram six years to figure out that the calls for a return to the chronological feed weren’t going away. And people think politicians are slow on the uptake.’
In 2016, Instagram sparked controversy after changing its chronological feed for an algorithmically sorted feed.
In a blog explaining the reasoning behind this change, Mr Mosseri said: ‘People were missing 70 per cent of all their posts in Feed, including almost half of posts from their close connections.
‘So we developed and introduced a Feed that ranked posts based on what you care about most.’
The algorithm takes several factors into account, including how likely you are to interact with it with likes or comments.
The news has been welcomed by many users on Twitter, with one joking that the update is ‘finally something good in the world’
‘In Feed, the five interactions we look at most closely are how likely you are to spend a few seconds on a post, comment on it, like it, save it, and tap on the profile photo,’ Mr Mosseri explained.
‘The more likely you are to take an action, and the more heavily we weigh that action, the higher up you’ll see the post. We add and remove signals and predictions over time, working to get better at surfacing what you’re interested in.’
While Instagram claims that the algorithm helps to ensure users don’t miss posts, many users have been calling for the return of the chronological feed.
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