Your Instagram feed is about to return to normal

The head of Instagram has done a major backflip on the new algorithm.

You might actually start seeing your friends in your feed again soon...

Instagram will reel back some of the recent, unpopular changes to its algorithm, following global criticism of the app for becoming too much like TikTok. 

A trial version of Instagram that opened to full-screen videos (similar to TikTok) will be pulled back in coming weeks, and users will see a reduced number of recommended posts, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed.

“I'm glad we took a risk — if we're not failing every once in a while, we're not thinking big enough or bold enough,” Mosseri told US tech site Platformer. “But we definitely need to take a big step back and regroup. (Once) we've learned a lot, then we come back with some sort of new idea or iteration. So we're going to work through that.”

The backflip comes just two days after Mosseri released a widely-shared video defending Instagram's algorithm changes, and asking users to embrace their new feeds. The backlash was swift, with stakeholders complaining the app favoured videos and sponsored content, despite carving its place in the social media marketplace as a photo-sharing app. Even model Chrissy Teigan left a comment under Mosseri's video saying “We don’t wanna make videos Adam, lol."

Now, Mosseri has admitted account holders were "frustrated" with the new algorithm which favoured Reels and suggested content, which resulted in poor usage. 

“I think that we need to take a big step back, regroup, and figure out how we want to move forward," he said.

'Make Instagram Instagram again'

"Bring back the chronological timelines"

"Stop trying to be TikTok"

"Give us an algorithm that favours photos"

These were just some of the demands from the 229,000 (and counting!) signatories of the Make Instagram Instagram Again petition calling on the platform to scrap the "overcomplicated" algorithm and return to normality.

The petition, which began just five days ago by artist Tati Bruening, acts as a revolt to the new way Instagram sorts users' feeds. 

Earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg flagged coming changes in the algorithm, with a shift away from the home feed being curated by your social or follow graph, to more of the posts displayed being recommended by AI, "even if the content wasn’t posted by a friend or someone you follow".

On Instagram, where more and more of your main feed is now being dominated by posts – primarily short-form video clips – from profiles that you don’t follow, that change is most prevalent.

The petition has already grabbed global-attention, including a highly-aspirational story re-share from both Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. 

Australian artist, influencer and petition signee Bianca Beers told The Oz she has a larger community on Instagram than ever, but the reach on her posts is "literally about one tenth of what it was a couple of years ago." 

"As an artist it makes it difficult, as an illustration takes hours and sometimes days of work, but now we're expected to post more video content is we want eyes on it," she said. "That means recording everything and/or animating everything which is just extra unnecessary work." 

While Beers would like to try other platforms, she said managing accounts correctly is "a lot of work, especially when you want your main focus to be the work you're creating."

The new Instagram experience isn't just unpleasant for creators. We know it's changed your feed into a smorgasbord of irrelevant content you may not have asked for.

You may have also seen an increase in sponsored posts in your feed. As Instagram competes with TikTok, they’re looking to keep their head over water. 

But we’ve learnt how to hack the algorithm and recalibrate the feed to get the posts you want to see up the top.

See the tips below: 

Snooze recommended posts

Find a recommended post in your feed, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select “not interested”. 

Instagram will hide the post, and a menu of choices will appear. Choose “snooze all suggested posts in feed for 30 days.”

After 30 days, you will have to try again. 

Say you’re “not interested” in unappealing content

Go to the explore tab on Instagram and select a post you don’t want to see in your feed. Tap the three dots in the top left corner and select “not interested”. 

Instagram claims they will take that into account, and show you fewer posts like it.

Only browse on web

Not the most convenient option, but Instagram is on the out anyway. 

If you scroll Instagram online (on a browser), you don't see ads, recommended posts or Reels in your feed. It is reminiscent of 2013 Instagram - just an infinite scroll of beautiful pictures.

(By the way - Snapchat just launched its desktop version because it is seeing audiences use computers more and more)