Six years after switching from a chronological feed to an algorithm, Instagram has introduced the option for users to control what is shown in their feed. The two new modes (‘following’ and ‘favourites’) will give users ‘more choice and control over what [they] see’, according to the company, providing three feed viewing options.

What Are The New Instagram Feeds?

The ‘Following’ feed sees the chronological feed become once more available to users, while ‘Favourites’ allows users to star up to 50 accounts whose posts will then be shown higher up in the main feed. Users can view these posts in a separate ‘Favourites’ feed, which shows the most recent posts first.

Why Have the New Feeds Been Introduced?

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, first hinted at the reintroduction of the chronological feed in a Senate hearing in December 2021, in response to being asked if he believed users should be able to use the app without ‘being manipulated by algorithms. He said the company were working on a feature that would give users more choice. 

While the ‘Following’ and ‘Favourites’ feeds might seem like a positive step towards more user control, Instagram is unlikely to let users escape the algorithm so easily. Neither of the new feed options can be set as default and Adam Mosseri explained, ‘Over time, we’re going to add more recommendations to your feed based on your interests’, suggesting that in the future, even in the ‘Following’ and ‘Favourites’ feeds, users are likely to be fed content from people they aren’t following.

Putting users first, or just a way to meet legal requirements?

Ultimately, platforms would rather give users algorithmically ranked feeds, where they can show us posts that are more engaging, therefore keeping users scrolling for longer. This means platforms can show users more ads, which translates to more money.

Lawmakers and regulators have been increasingly concerned about Big Tech’s use of algorithms to filter the content users see, and laws are coming into force globally in an attempt to force platforms away from the over-reliance on algorithms. It is likely that Instagram's decision for the new feeds is merely an attempt to get ahead of coming legal requirements that could force it to make changes, rather than a decision to please its users.