Instagram Recommended Content Rolls Out In User Home Feeds

Instagram is rolling out recommended posts to its users, a new reality first revealed via a test spotted in early December. The change is exactly what it sounds like — a way for Instagram to push content it thinks you will like based on your own activity on the platform. The company explains on its help site that it determines which content to suggest based on the stuff that is "liked" by the accounts you choose to follow.

Some users began spotted recommended content in a new section called "Recommended for You" earlier this month. Instagram has officially — but quietly — started rolling that content out to all of its users, though it will take time for everyone to start seeing it.

The Recommended for You section shows up in the app's home section rather than a different part of the app, putting it front and center...though users can temporarily get rid of it if they'd like. Instagram says to do that, you'll need to tap the triple-dot button and then tap "Hide."

This is essentially a new discovery tool, aiming to get new content in front of users who may otherwise be content browsing through their current feed and little else. It tosses algorithmic magic on top, pushing things the service thinks you want to see rather than any ole generic, popular content.

Whether users will appreciate the forced discovery, though, is yet to be seen. You can't permanently opt out of seeing the section, only instead disabling it for a little while before it returns with more unsolicited content. Many users, not surprisingly, still yearn for a simple, clean, chronological feed that doesn't include any unwanted bits and pieces.

SOURCE: TechCrunch