'Meaningful control': Instagram makes long awaited change

A new update will bring back a longed-for feature that disappeared five years ago. Photo / Getty Images

Instagram is relaunching its chronological feed, several years after it switched to an algorithm-based system.

The update will split the app's traditional news feed into two — Following and Favourites.

The latter will give users the option to add up to 50 accounts which will be grouped for inclusion into the Favourites feed.

Accounts added to Favourites will show up at the top of users' home feed with a star icon and a separate "Favourite feed".

"You can add up to 50 favourites, and make changes to your list at any time — people are not notified when they are added or removed," Instagram said in a statement.

"Posts from your favourites list will also show up higher in your home feed, as shown by a star icon."

The Following will also see posts appear in chronological order, which was the app's norm before a 2016 update.

That change saw Instagram remove the chronological feed which showed posts in order of the latest published content.

We heard you loud and clear — chrono is back! 🚨

Two new chronological views have been added to your Feed. Tap “Instagram” on the top left of your app to switch between Favorites and Following. pic.twitter.com/737vVmo9aV

— Instagram (@instagram) March 23, 2022

Instead, it switched to the algorithm-based feed that shows posts users' previous interactions would be interested in seeing.

A third feed, Home, will still be sorted algorithmically in the latest update.

"In addition to your main home feed, we're launching new options that let people choose to see posts in Feed from their favourite accounts, or from the accounts they follow, in chronological order," Instagram explained.

"We want people to have meaningful control over their experience on Instagram and the content they see."

The update will be available for users from Thursday morning.