CALIFORNIA: Instagram is changing the way it shows posts on your feed. The new update, as Instagram says will “give you more control over your feed and ensure the posts you see are timely”.
“Based on your feedback, we’re making changes to ensure that newer posts are more likely to appear first in the feed. With these changes, your feed will feel fresher, and you won’t miss the moments you care about,” the company wrote in a blog post late Thursday.
Instagram is testing a “New Posts” button which will refresh posts on your feed. What happens right now is that the app automatically refreshes your feed bringing you back to the top. You can tap on this button to go back to the top of your feed for new posts. If you don’t wish to do so you can continue scrolling.
However, this new feature doesn’t bring back the chronological feedback. The company has no plans to return to a chronological feed, Gabriel Madway, an Instagram spokesperson, was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
Back in 2016 Instagram changed the algorithm for its feed to show only relevant posts from accounts you interact with. Ever since this switch, Instagram has been receiving constant backlash. Users complain of their feed showing posts which are three to four days old.
The Facebook-owned company said it would share more about improvements it was making to the feed in the coming months.
Instagram also introduced hashtags and profile links in the bio. You can add these from the “Edit Profile” section under the Settings menu. Type ‘#’ for hashtags and ‘@’ for accounts, and you will see a dropdown list of suggestions to choose from. After selecting the hashtag and account you will see it reflect on your Instagram bio with the hyperlink.