Well, angels, the day I never thought would arrive finally has: The new Instagram algorithm really is taking effect. Soon. As in, this month. So, do you want to chat about how the new Instagram feed works? Would that make you feel better? It's OK if you do. It's a whole new ballgame, and no one wants to miss out out on the latest, too cute baby-and-puppy-are-best-friends post. Especially not on a Monday.
You may remember back in March, when IG fans everywhere began truly panicking following the announcement that Instagram feeds would no longer be chronological. At the time, we calmed ourselves by saying, "Relax, it's just in testing phase" — but that testing is now over. The new platform does exist, it is happening, and it's happening within the next few weeks: A June 2 post on Instagram's blog announced that the change will be rolling out "over the coming month."
Which brings us to the bigger question: Why make the change at all? And there actually is a good reason for it: According to that same blog post, people miss up to 70 percent of the posts on their IG feeds. This new change will, in theory, be sifting through all that you usually miss and pulling out gems. See? It's actually pretty cool when you think about it; you'll no longer be at the mercy of whatever time you log onto Instagram. If the algorithm thinks you'll like something, you'll see it.
From there, the question becomes about exactly how the algorithm determines what will be in your feed — so let's take a closer look. It turns out that the Instagram Help Center is full of useful information. Hold onto your butts, everyone.
What Photos Will Be Showing Up On My Feed?
Well, talking in super broad terms, you'll be seeing the photos of people you follow. Which... duh. More specifically, you'll be seeing posts from ~times past~ and ~times present~. A mixed bag of eras! Every day will be #TBT!
How Are The Posts Ordered?
The posts are ordered non-chronologically. Instead, Instagram's new algorithm will be taking into account a post's timestamp, your historical interactions with the user who shared it, and how interesting it thinks you'll find the post. The more amped the algorithm thinks you'll be about a pic, the higher up the pic will be in your feed.
Will A Series Of Photos Intended To Be Viewed Together Still Appear Together On Your Feed?
Yeah, that's a definite downside to this new set up: Series-driven IG accounts like Humans of New York, as well as normal humans who just want to document, say, the course of a night, may need to rethink their posting strategy. I will say, though, that a person's profile will still be chronologically ordered.
How Can I Remove Photos From My Feed?
You can still unfollow or block a user if, for whatever reason, you start to grow weary of their IG presence, but you can't remove specific photos. Honestly, I feel like this new algorithm is going to spur me on to purging who I follow, which is a thing I've been meaning to do for literal years.
What If I Don't Like The New Algorithm?
Unfortunately you'll just have to get used to it: There's no opt-out option for the new IG. If you're worried about missing new posts from your faves (I know I am), you can turn on notifications for that specific person and get a li'l heads up whenever they've added a new photo.
Sure, change can be scary, but this one seems like it'll be worth rolling with. Happy 'gramming!
Images: Giphy (5)
