Instagram is developing a feature that will offer users more control over the platform’s notoriously obtuse feed algorithm. Alessandro Paluzzi, a mobile developer, recently shared screenshots of Favorites, an in-development feature. Those pictures imply that you’ll be able to add friends, family members, and creators to a list of accounts you’d like the software to prioritize when scrolling through your feed.
People have complained that since Instagram switched from a chronological to an algorithmic feed in 2016, the app hasn’t done a good job of displaying users the photos and videos they want to view. In a recent blog post on how Instagram’s different algorithms operate, Adam Mosseri, the platform’s CEO, attempted to address such concerns. When deciding how to prioritize the content it displays you, the feed algorithm now considers the popularity of a post, as well as your recent activity and history of engaging with someone.