Last chance to save on Digiday Publishing Summit passes is February 9
Instagram’s algorithm apocalypse is upon us.
The photo-sharing app confirmed that it’s rolling out the new feed to all users beginning today, three months after Instagram first announced the move.
Instagram’s algorithm mirrors that of its owner, Facebook, in that posts are being presented in the order of “likelihood you’ll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting, and the timeliness of the post.” Instagram said the change is because people miss as much as 70 percent of pictures from account they follow under the chronological format.
“Over the past few months, we brought this new way of ordering posts to a portion of the community, and we found that people are liking photos more, commenting more and generally engaging with the community in a more active way,” Instagram explained in a blog post.
The change will likely ignite some panic amongst brands since companies that see low engagement won’t be pushed to the top. Lucky for them, however, Instagram debuted tools this week that lets small companies pay the app to have their posts boosted to the top. Sexy brands, like fitness, food and beauty that garner tons of engagement should be fine.
Not everyone is seeing the changes immediately. Those who are seeing it don’t always like it:
I am not a fan of the recent update to the Instagram app. The algorithm is horrible. I want my “feed” to be in chronological order.
— William Roberts (@SangeanLover) May 25, 2016
Please, @instagram, give us an option to turn off the algorithm feed. I know what I want to see. Trust me to find it, ok?
— Lauren Morrill (@LaurenEMorrill) May 25, 2016
Can instagram stop it with the algorithm. I follow everyone because I want to see their posts. On my time line. In chronological order.
— siobhan :) (@siobhancorn) May 25, 2016
More in Media
Brands invest in creators for reach as celebs fill the Big Game spots
The Super Bowl is no longer just about day-of posts or prime-time commercials, but the expanding creator ecosystem surrounding it.
WTF is the IAB’s AI Accountability for Publishers Act (and what happens next)?
The IAB introduced a draft bill to make AI companies pay for scraping publishers’ content. Here’s how it’ll differ from copyright law, and what comes next.
Media Briefing: A solid Q4 gives publishers breathing room as they build revenue beyond search
Q4 gave publishers a win — but as ad dollars return, AI-driven discovery shifts mean growth in 2026 will hinge on relevance, not reach.