Instagram has introduced two new options for its users that will allow them to view posts in their feed in chronological order.
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The photo and video-sharing platform used to display content in chronological order before 2016, but later introduced a feed that ranked posts using algorithms. The two new options in a way bring back the simplicity of viewing posts that users are most interested in, instead of scrolling through a stream of algorithm-recommended posts in their feed.
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The Meta-owned company has labelled the two options – Following and Favourites. Users can access the two options by tapping on Instagram in the top left corner of their home page. Following, as the name suggests, would display posts from the people a user follows. And when using Favourites, users would be able to view the most recent posts from the accounts they have added to their favourites list, according to Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram.
The favourites list allows users to add up to 50 accounts, like their best friends, family and favourite creators. According to Mosseri, both Favourites and Following will show users' posts in chronological order, so they can quickly catch up on recent posts. Posts from accounts on users’ favourites list will also show up higher in their home feed, Mosseri added.
Interestingly, the home feed for users would still display posts based on their preferences, generated through algorithmic ranking as the two new options for viewing posts in chronological order can’t be set as default.
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The lack of a default option isn’t surprising, as Mosseri had said in a blog post that when the platform was offering a chronological order for posts “it became impossible for most people to see everything, let alone all the posts they cared about.” He added, “by 2016, people were missing 70% of all their posts in feed, including almost half of posts from their close connections.”
Even though users would be required to manually select an option, the availability of Following and Favourites options would probably make it easier for many users to choose what posts they wish to see in their feed, as opposed to going the algorithmic way of endless scrolling. Those who choose to use one of the two options could also reduce some screentime as they might find what they want to see on the platform much faster.
Meta intends to build features like Favourites and Following to give users more choice and control over what they see, according to Mosseri.