To the disappointment of many users, Instagram is finally rolling out its new algorithm-based timeline.
While news of the change regarding how users view posts is nothing new, at least the company is staying true to its word and informing us that change is now coming.
Users may recall that Instagram first announced back in March that it planned to show posts based on what users "care about" instead of in chronological order. This caused some serious backlash, with many worried that their posts would be hidden underneath the images and videos posted by others with whom users actually interact on a regular basis. This news was especially alarming for brands and pro-Instagrammers who believe their posts will not reach a wide audience and prefer if users turn on notifications to stay in the loop regarding their content.
However, Instagram stands by its decision to introduce the new timeline so that the machine-learning algorithm can create a more personalized news feed for each user. Even though many might not be thrilled about the Facebook News Feed-like change (ahem, Facebook owns Instagram, so the change was bound to happen), the company said that people are missing out on 70 percent of their feeds because there are just too many posts shared as the platform continues to grow. To keep up with the posts, having an algorithm-based feed seems like the only way to determine how users view content.
Now, the time has finally come for the new algorithm to be released.
The company announced in a blog post on Thursday that users will now start to see the posts they care about the most starting this month.
With the new algorithm, the "best" posts will appear higher in the user's feed. When the user scrolls down, instead of seeing five different selfies by the same user that are one minute apart, posts will now start to be ordered based on whether or not the user will find the post interesting and if they have previously interacted with the person sharing the post.
Instagram revealed the new timeline feature will start rolling out "over the coming month," but some users are already seeing the change. Users will know their timeline has changed if they no longer see posts arranged chronologically.
The company said that, after testing the new way to order posts for the past few months with a portion of users, it found that users are liking and commenting on photos more, so Instagram celebrities don't need to freak out that they will become irrelevant — fans will still engage.
"With this new ordering you won't miss your favorite band's video after the concert, even if it took place across the world in a different time zone," Instagram said in a blog post. "And no matter how many accounts you follow, you should see your best friend's latest posts."
Like it or not, the change is here to stay. However, on the bright side, at least users will see posts from people they actually care about and not the spam.
Source: Instagram
