Instagram apparently no longer wants you to see Christmas Day photos on New Year’s Eve. On Thursday, the Facebook-owed service announced that it’s implementing new changes to its algorithm. The changes will prioritise newer posts in your feed, hopefully reducing the number of old posts that appear when you open up the app.
Back in 2016, Instagram changed the way its algorithm worked so the app’s primary feed functioned closer to Facebook’s non-chronological flow of information. People basically lost their minds when that happened. Today, Instagram is crediting feedback from users for provoking the latest tweaks. The company wrote on its blog:
Based on your feedback, we’re also making changes to ensure that newer posts are more likely to appear first in feed. 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.
The lesson here, apparently, is that complaining a lot online can led to positive change. Great job internet. Instagram’s announcement post also mentions that it’s currently testing a “New Posts” button that takes you directly to the latest posts in your feed.
Instagram hints that more changes are coming down the line, but no longer immediately seeing four-day old photos when opening up the app seems like a good start.