The past is in the past, and Instagram is making that abundantly clear by replacing “older posts” in your feed with a list of suggested content. Recommendations are based on accounts you follow and posts “similar to the ones you like or save,” according to the social network.
Look for the familiar “You’re all caught up” message, then continue scrolling for inspiration. If you largely follow accounts about food, nature, and inspirational quotes, expect more of that. To skip suggestions (which change each time you log into the app), simply click “View Older Posts.”
“We want to show you more content from across Instagram that’s relevant to you and that’s really related to the content that you already follow,” Julian Gutman, head of product for Instagram Home, told CNET. New suggested posts, he explained, are an “extension” of the user’s feed and “complementary” to the existing Explore tab. The latter relies on additional metrics to highlight broader subjects: Someone who follows space-related accounts may, for instance, see images and videos related to physics or biology.
Put off by that political cartoon Instagram slipped into the docket? Don’t want to see any more content from a particular influencer? Simply tap the three-dot menu above the offending post and click “Not interested.” Your response will hopefully help weed out those images in the future.
Suggested posts have been in the works for about two years, internally testing various formulas before rolling out the final version this week. “People really gravitated and reacted more positively to content that was similar to what you’re seeing in feed,” Gutman said. “Which was a key part of this extension-of-feed idea.” The feature is available only on iOS and Android; there is no word on whether it will eventually reach the web. Instagram did not immediately respond to PCMag’s request for comment.
