Instagram recently changed its feed-generating algorithm, and it threw users off. Now, Vice President of Product at Instagram Kevin Weil announced further changes to the platform’s algorithm meant to make the app easier to use.
We're working every day to improve your Instagram feed—with your feedback top of mind! We want to start talking more about what we're changing and why. Today is our first step, focused on making the feed fresher, with newer posts closer to the top. https://t.co/EqoBiszIde
— Kevin Weil 🇺🇸 (@kevinweil) March 22, 2018
One big change that’s just been rolled out: Instagram will no longer automatically refresh users’ timelines.
“We’ve heard it can feel unexpected when your feed refreshes and automatically bumps you to the top. So today we’re testing a ‘New Posts’ button that lets you choose when you want to refresh, rather than it happening automatically,” Weil said in a statement. “Tap the button and you’ll be taken to new posts at the top of feed — don’t tap, and you’ll stay where you are. We hope this makes browsing Instagram much more enjoyable.”
These new features should allow the most relevant, freshest posts to appear on users’ timelines allowing them to never miss a moment.
“With these changes, your feed will feel more fresh, and you won’t miss the moments you care about. So if your best friend shares a selfie from her vacation in Australia, it will be waiting for you when you wake up,” Weil said.
Instagram’s last algorithm alterations upset professional content producers and business owners because the platform would display old posts, making the app feel stale.
News of the changes come as Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, struggles with a privacy scandal. 50 million accounts were compromised. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently tried assuring users that their data is in safe hands, but many in the U.S. and U.K. governments want him to testify to that. Some lawmakers are even calling for more regulation over the social media space.