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Instagram to display photos out of order, will test algorithm-based feed

Posted at 9:07 PM, Mar 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-15 23:07:28-04

Instagram announced Tuesday its plans to test an algorithm-based feed which will show users “moments you care about” at the top of feeds.

“To improve your experience, your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most,” the company wrote on its official blog. According to Instagram, users miss on average 70 percent of their feeds.

Based on your likes and comments, Instagram will show you content you’re most likely to engage with.

“The order of photos and videos in your feed will be based on the likelihood you’ll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post. As we begin, we’re focusing on optimizing the order — all the posts will still be there, just in a different order.”

The announcement comes only a few days after Instagram changed its timestamp by showing the actual post date and not “75 days ago.” The timestamp now shows below the content instead of at the top, de-emphasizing the date.

“What this is about is making sure that the 30 percent you see is the best 30 percent possible,” Instagram co-founder and chief executive Kevin Systrom told the New York Times.

The company said they plan to “take time to get this right” and will monitor feedback from users. An unspecified percentage (under 10 percent) will see the test algorithm. The change will likely happen in the “coming months,” the company said.