If there are two words that send dread through the influencer community – it’s “Instagram Updates”. While some changes are definitely approved of (thank you sweet IG peeps for Insta Stories) and some highly condemned (ummm… algorithm changes and the threat of a 4×4 grid that seems to have stayed in beta stage #grateful) – the latest one seems to have already touched a nerve or two.
Announced quietly via the Instagram Help Centre, the new update will see your Feed feature posts created by people you’re not following – titled “Recommended for You”. Which begs the question – will the “Explore” tab soon be made redundant?!
Explaining the concept, Instagram states: “When scrolling through Feed, you may see posts that are Recommended for You. These posts are suggested based on posts liked by accounts you follow.”
Instagram then goes on to guide people on how to remove this feature… “You can choose to temporarily hide Recommended for You posts. To temporarily hide posts that appear inRecommended for You:
1. Tap (iPhone) or (Android) above the post.
2. Tap Hide.”
But while it is possible to hide the feature, Twitter has been erupting with disapproval about the update. Bringing a little humour to the whole affair, @AdrianSurname tweeted:
“Users: Bring back chronological ordering of posts
Instagram: Algorithms! You like them?
Users: No, just the chronological ordering of posts
Instagram: Ok, got it, we’ll show you ads
Users: No, we just wa…
Instagram: Posts of people you don’t follow? Done”
We’ll just have to see if this one makes it past the trial stages. My guess is that it does…
All images: @husskiepress
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