Instagram users can now craft a 'Favorites' feed to make it easier to see posts from certain accounts on the app. This feature comes with the return of the much-requested chronological timeline — now called the 'Following' feed — where people can view content according to the time they were posted. These feed filters are great options for Instagram users who are tired of the usual algorithmic arrangement of posts and want to widen their horizons on the media-sharing service.

The ability to control how a user views their Instagram feed comes during a time when the potential harm of algorithms and persuasive technology is being scrutinized by the government and general public alike, especially its effects on young users. Being able to view Instagram posts chronologically could help provide users with a more balanced view of current trends and topics. It can also enable users with a sizable Following list to see more posts from accounts they've added a long time ago and have not interacted with in a while.

Related: How To Add & Organize Favorites In Safari On A Mac

While Instagram's 'Following' feed simply posts content chronologically from profiles users have added to the social media platform, the 'Favorites' feed lets them curate a special list of posts from accounts they love viewing and interacting with. Ideally, this list would be composed of Instagram users' in-real-life best friends and acquaintances and their favorite public figures and content creators. Anyone with an Instagram account can add up to 50 profiles to 'Favorites' and make changes to the feed at any time. People will not be notified when they are added or removed by contacts to a Favorites list.

Curating An Instagram' Favorites' List, Plus More On The Other Feed Views

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Launch the Instagram app and press the 'Home' icon at the bottom-left corner of the screen to enable Instagram's 'Favorites' feature and get a feed started. Next, tap on the Instagram logo in the top-left corner of the home page and choose 'Favorites.' If the user is accessing the Favorites feed for the first time, tap on the 'Add favorites' link in the middle of the empty screen. Instagram will automatically suggest accounts to populate the Favorites feed based on their activity on the app. Tap 'Remove' next to a person to take them out of the pre-suggested list. If a user would like to ignore Instagram's suggestions and add accounts manually, tap 'Remove all,' then 'Remove all' to confirm. To add an account, hit the 'Add' button next to their user profile or use the search bar to look up their username, then tap 'Add' next to the appropriate account. Finally, tap 'Confirm favorites' to finalize.

Only users with an Instagram account can access the 'Favorites' feed, plus all the other feed views. Both 'Following' and 'Favorites' will show posts in chronological order. To modify or add to the Favorites list, navigate to Instagram's main feed, tap on the Instagram logo in the top-left corner of the home page, and choose 'Favorites.' Tap the list icon on the top-right corner of the screen and go through the same process listed above to make the necessary changes.

Users can access 'Favorites' to see only these posts and no one else's. Additionally, new posts from people marked as favorites will have a star icon next to their profile and appear higher in the main Instagram feed, which is still arranged algorithmically. For now, there is no way to set either Following or Favorites as the default Instagram feed view. Both new feed options are also currently unavailable on the web version of Instagram.

Next: Instagram Chronological Feed: How To Get Instagram's Old Home Page Back

Source: Instagram