Instagram brings back its chronological feed - here’s how to find it

As well as the main home page, Instagram has now added a Favourites and Following tab

(AFP via Getty Images)

Instagram has announced that it is bringing back a chronological feed to its app, alongside a new ‘favourites’ option.

The new feeds should be released to the company’s global user base today for iPhone and Android users but will not be available on the web.

There are now three feeds in the main Instagram app: the algorithmic feed, which will remain the default, the chronological “Following” feed and the “Favourites” feed which consists of up to 50 accounts that users choose specifically – such as close friends or family.

When scrolling through the main feed, posts from accounts from the Favourites list will have a star icon by them and will rank higher in the algorithm.

Why has Instagram done this?

Instagram has long been criticised for the effect of its algorithm, which it switched to over its chronological feed in 2016, because of the potential to push people down ‘rabbit holes’ of extremist content.

In the UK, this includes the death of teenager Molly Russell, who died by suicide after viewing numerous graphic self-harm images online. Her father, Ian Russell, has demanded that social media companies do more to stop similar situations occurring in the future.

“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”, Instagram says.

(Instagram)

How do I turn it on?

Users will have to hit the drop down arrow in the top-left corner of the app, next to the Instagram logo.

There, they will be able to choose between the ‘Following’ and ‘Favourites’ option.

Both Favorites and Following will show users posts in chronological order.

However, neither of these options can be set as the default. This is because Instagram claims that people are “more satisfied” by its algorithmic feed.

How do I add people to my Favourites?

When users first go onto the Favourites tab, Instagram will automatically suggest favourites “based on your activity on Instagram”. Users can then manually add users themselves using the search bar.

Will Instagram make more changes?

It’s possible. “Over time, we’re going to add more recommendations to your feed based on your interests — Favorites and Following are new ways to catch up on recent posts from the accounts you follow”, company head Adam Mosseri wrote in the blog post announcing the feature.