Instagram is today launching two new ways to choose how you see your feed with Favourites and Following, viewing tools that will allow users to tailor and personalise content most relevant to them and to have more control over their feed than ever before.
Accounts added to Favourites will show up at the top of users’ home feed with a star icon and a separate ‘Favourite feed,’ curating the latest posts from your besties and favourite creators. You can add up to 50 favourites and make changes to your list at any time — people will not be notified when they are added or removed.
The Following tab will filter by accounts you follow, with both features sorting by chronological order to help you quit the dreaded doom scroll and quickly catch up on your latest feed content on the go. Research shows that people are more satisfied with a ranked feed, so Instagram will not be defaulting people into a chronological feed experience.
People use their Instagram feed for different reasons — from discovering new creators in suggested posts to staying up to date with their friends and family. These features will allow people to feel good about the time they spend on Instagram, by giving them ways to shape their experience into what best suits them.
Instagram creator Belle Bambi, known as @bambifairy, said: “I think these changes will benefit users and creators in a colourful new way. It will be amazing to see how we can now reach our audience and I think that continuously finding new and exciting ways to do that is what’s important in today’s social media climate. Being able to see more of the people we love, and further than that, to be able to customise that experience, puts the power in all of our hands. And that is super special!
‘The first action I plan on taking will be to make a beautiful favourites list with inspiring figures and people in my life, so I know that once I tap on that favourites feed I’ll be filled with empowerment!”
How will use these new Instagram features?