How to Make Instagram Chronological Again
One of the biggest updates for Instagram was the 2016 decision to go from a chronological feed to one dictated by algorithms. It was and still is hated by many, the main claim being that it means you miss important posts because the algorithm uses its own means of prioritizing posts. If you are wondering how to make Instagram chronological again, you need to know that it is not something you can do by changing the app preferences. It's something which takes a little working around.
oneHOWTO shows you how you can work around the Instagram algorithm, but also helps you consider the best ways to get the most out of the app.
New Instagram is based on algorithm feeds
In 2016 Instagram changed its news feed and instead of putting posts in chronological order, they let their algorithms take over. This way, the order is dictated by the posts you like, the people you follow, the profiles you view and the hashtags you use. At least, we think this is the case. The algorithm overlords are notorious in keeping their exact workings a secret. What it is safe to say is that how you interact on Instagram (in terms of posts you like, comment on, share, repost, etc.) dictates how you see posts.
The latest update allows you to select a drop down option menu which lets you suggest which types of posts you'd like to see more or less of. Even with the backlash, however, many people are quite happy with the new feed. If you follow many accounts, there is a lot of content to scroll through. If your Instagram feed is chronological, you may find yourself having to take a long time to get to the posts in which you would be more interested.
Also, Instagram regularly updates its algorithm. This is in part due to the greater amount of data which they collect about individual accounts. The way they suggest which pictures, videos, hashtags and accounts are high priority based on this data. While not infallible, it can be amazing/worrying just how well the algorithm knows you by your interests. However, they have listened to the feedback and in March 2018 decided to make the posts more chronological. This doesn't mean they are chronological, but it uses this as a way to decide in which order they will put the posts on your feed.
Image: GBinsta
Pros and Cons of the Algorithmic feed
With these changes and with more knowledge of how the algorithm works, you may want to simply leave it as it is. A chronological feed has its positives. It keeps posts in real time, similar to an RSS feed. This way you know will know when something was posted and you can interact accordingly. With the algorithm feed, it can provide real frustrations. For example, if a band you really want to see posts something about a secret show happening tonight, but your feed only shows it two days later, you will likely be gutted you missed it.
Another downside of the chronological feed is about what you post, not what you see. If you want to schedule a post, it still doesn't mean the time for which it is scheduled is when people will see it. If you make Instagram chronological again, however, it is important to know that your followers will not be changed.
The algorithmic feed prioritizes the posts which are more interesting to you. This has its benefits. Instagram estimates there are about 70% of posts which you will not see. With the algorithm, they try to reorder these posts so you don't miss the things you are more likely to enjoy. However, to feed the algorithm your information, you will need to add suggestions, like a lot of posts and provide a lot of data. You may not wish to do this for privacy reasons, but it is also somewhat of a compromise you have to make if you want to use the social media platform.
How to make Instagram chronological again
If you have weighed up your options, considered the updates to the application and still want to make your Instagram feed chronological again, there is only one way. This is to use a third party app. These apps include Instagram viewers which present the posts on Instagram, but in a different way. It is similar to the Tweet Deck on Twitter.
There some apps which claim to help return Instagram back to a chronological feed. These include GBinsta. This allows you to order your posts on a timeline, but it also allows you to zoom in on content, download posts and has many other options. It is unfortunately currently only available for Android users.
You need to be careful with third party apps. Many sound too good to be true and this is because they are. They are often Trojan horses for malware. Check the reviews and go to forums to see what people are saying about them. Not all of them will work and many have less options in terms of commenting and sharing your Instagram feed. However, as a work around, it can be useful. It is also your only option unless you work for Instagram and are somehow able to change it back. If so, please feel free to comment below with more information.
Many apps have tried to meet the desire to make Instagram chronological again. Unfortunately, many have not been able to keep up with Instagram's algorithm and software changes. This is because Instagram doesn't want your feed to be chronological. Trying to fight this is not only hard, it's probably not worth it in the long-run.
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