Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Instagram caves, will finally show you new posts first
- Instagram is re-working on its feed algorithm to make sure the newest posts appear at the top.
- This backtracks on Instagram’s feed update in 2016 that stopped your feed appearing in chronological order.
- Instagram is also testing a “New Posts” button which will let you choose when to refresh your feed, rather than the refresh occurring automatically.
Back in 2016, Instagram angered pretty much every user it had when it announced that it was updating its feed algorithm to put the posts it thinks you’ll want to see at the top of your feed, rather than just showing you all posts in reverse chronological order. A backlash also befell Twitter when it made a similar change.
Now it appears Instagram is backtracking a little and updating its algorithm again to bring it closer to the way it was originally. In its latest press release, the company announced that it is working on its feed algorithm to ensure newer posts are more likely to appear at the top of your feed.
Instagram also said that it will be testing a “New Posts” button that will let you choose when you want to refresh your feed. Instead of the refresh happening automatically, you’ll stay where you are until you are ready to see the latest posts of the day.
Instagram’s press release on the topic doesn’t go into any detail of who will get the New Posts button or how long the testing phase of the button or the updated algorithm will last. However, this is pretty much guaranteed to make every Instagrammer happy, so it’s likely we’ll see these features get a wide rollout eventually.
As far as the New Posts button goes, it’s not clear if exiting the Instagram app will also save your spot. Right now, if you are one of the lucky few with the New Posts button, if you move from one app to another without actually closing Instagram, your place in the queue should be saved. But if you close Instagram and then re-open it, does it bring you back to where you left off? We’ll have to wait until we see the New Posts button to find out.
Do you have the New Posts button on your Instagram app? Are you happy that the feed will go back to be somewhat like the way it was originally? Let us know in the comments!