Instagram announced it will begin displaying recommended posts in users feeds from accounts they don’t already follow.
“Recommended For You” posts will be based on accounts that a user follows and photos and videos they have liked.
This is a test feature, for now, and it sounds like Instagram is trying to make it as unobtrusive as possible.
Recommended posts will be displayed at the end of the feed, once a user has seen all new posts from accounts they do follow.
So, instead of stopping after seeing all new posts, users can conceivably continue discovering an endless amount of new content.
That sounds contradictory to another feature Instagram introduced earlier this year which is designed to help users be more mindful of time spent on the app.
Users could end up spending significantly more time on Instagram if they’re browsing aimlessly through new posts.
Of course, that’s a good thing for Instagram as a company and the businesses that advertise on the platform.
Although it could ultimately lead to a more positive experience for users also, presuming they end up being exposed to more content they like to see.
With all of that said, recommended posts are only in testing at the moment, and time will tell what kind of an impact they’ll have.
Instagram notes that changes may be made based on user feedback.
This feature will continue to roll out over the next few days to a limited audience. The company hopes to make it available more widely over the coming weeks.
