Today (Mar. 23), Instagram has officially announced the return of its chronological feed. The change is expected to roll out soon within the next few weeks as users update their apps. The announcement arrives after many users have complained over the last few years about Instagram’s noticeably trickier algorithm due to how it has undoubtedly gotten more difficult to navigate. This new feed will be achieved by the two new self-curated “Favorites” and “Following” selection features.
“We want you to be able to shape Instagram into the best possible experience, and giving you ways to quickly see what you’re most interested in is an important step in that direction,” writes Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram.
The “Favorites” timeline shows you the latest from accounts that you personally select, such your close friends and favorite content creators. In addition to this view, posts from accounts in “Favorites” will also show up higher in your home feed. There is a limit of 50 accounts at a time you may select to put into this section.
“Following” simply shows you posts from all the people you follow. Most importantly, both “Favorites” and “Following” will show you posts in chronological order, making it easier to keep track of which posts you have to catch up on or didn’t see yet. These selections can be made by tapping on Instagram in the top left corner of your home page to choose.
Instagram made the switch from a reverse chronological to a “ranked” one back in 2016. “We know from research that people have a better experience on Instagram with a ranked feed, so we won’t be defaulting people into a chronological feed,” the social media company said in statement in a statement at the time.
Be sure to keep a look out for the return of the chronological Instagram feed making its way back soon.