How do I change the view on Instagram?

It's been nearly six years since Instagram switched from a chronological feed to an algorithm feed — and a lot of people haven't been happy about it. Rather than seeing all the posts and stories from their followed accounts, the algorithm feed forces people to see posts and stories based on how they used Instagram. It's good for discovery (and seeing ads and posts from accounts you don't follow, if you're into that), but not necessarily good for keeping up friends, family and the other accounts you follow.

Well, this week Instagram is finally letting people switch back to a chronological feed — sort of.

This week, the social media app introduced two new settings that change the way people can view their Home feeds. The first setting is called "Following," which allows you to view your Home feed in chronological order; you're going to see posts and stories by the accounts you follow in the order that they were posted.

The second is called "Favorites," which is an even more concise feed populated by posts and stories from accounts that you have designated as a "favorite." (You can add somebody as a "favorite" by clicking the "..." on the top-right of their post and selecting "Add to favorites" from the drop-down menu.)

To view either of the your "Following" or "Favorites" feeds, all you have to do is go to your Home feed, tap the large Instagram logo in the top-left corner and then select either "Following" or "Favorites" from the drop-down menu. You'll then switch over to that selected feed.

There is a pretty annoying catch, however, and that's that you can't set either of these new feeds as your default feed. This means that whenever you open the Instagram app and you go to your Home feed, you'll see the algorithm feed. If you want to see the "Following" or "Favorites" feeds, you'll have to again tap the Instagram logo and select the feed you wish to view.

It's not perfect, but at least it's a start. (Note: If you're not able to see these new feeds, your Instagram might need to be updated. Go to the App Store and update the app.)

Before you can change the design of your Instagram Home feed, you have to download the special Instagram version called Instagram ++. Read our tutorial on how to get more Instagram features to learn how to get the app and how to install it. Although Instagram ++ looks like the conventional Instagram app and runs with your Instagram account, you have more options with Instagram ++ that you cannot use with the normal app – such as changing the Instagram layout of your news feed.

Once you have installed Instagram ++ successfully and signed in, you will notice that the “Home menu” is already different. You will now see the photos of your friends or pages that you follow in a grid of three rows (see “after” image) instead of one row (see “before”).

Want to repost faster on Instagram? Check out our tutorial on how to repost faster on Instagram using an additional app.

Change Instagram layout

If you are happy with Instagram ++ and the various special features, but you don’t like the news feed grid, you can switch to the standard layout easily. To display the standard layout of the normal Instagram app, you just need to tap “Instagram” on top and it will look like the normal Instagram app.

You will notice that the little circle next to the logo turns black for the standard layout. This way you don’t have to go without the additional features of Instagram ++ but you have the usual layout for the news feed. You can also switch between the two layouts as you wish to browse the news feed better. All you need to do is tapping the “Instagram” logo on top.

ICYMI, Instagram recently rolled out in-feed tests that enlarge pictures and videos to become nearly the full size of your screen. The tests have been met with mixed reviews, and many users have been left wondering if they can change back their Instagram feed to make Instagram photos and videos smaller again. If you’re looking to revert your IG feed back to normal, here's what you need to know about the photo and video feed test.

If you’re lucky enough not to be in the test (I said what I said), let me catch you up to speed. On May 3, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri posted a Reel to his personal IG account to announce the first feed test that expanded the size of photos and videos to fill up more of your screen. The test ran throughout May 2022, and then on June 16, the company rolled out new versions of the feed test to select users. Both tests ditch the standard 1:1 and 4:5 ratios for a new 9:16 ratio, and other than the fact that the new test does not feature white spaces above and below in-feed content, there aren’t many changes between the two tests.

According to a Meta spokesperson, the May 2022 photo and video test is no longer live, so if your feed content suddenly looks more like a vertical rectangle, you know you’re in the new test — you might also notice your Shop and Reels tabs have been replaced by shortcuts to make a post and send a DM

If you’re in the test group and would rather opt out while Instagram works on it, you might be out of luck, at least for a while. According to a Meta spokesperson, Instagram users in the original feed test were unable to revert their feeds to the original layout, and it doesn’t appear there is any way out of the new test (or future tests).

Mosseri explained in early May that the inspiration for the test came from IG’s desire to create a more immersive viewing experience, but according to the comments section of the May 3 Reel, it looks like some people were satisfied with their content just the way it was.

User @BlairImani weighed in with her opinion on Mosseri’s Reel, writing, “I don’t love it. It feels a bit crowded and too hard to comment / meaningfully engage.” Meanwhile, @Hammond_oh pointed out that the new layout might need some updating, because it “doesn’t show the date the post was published.” All valid points.

It’s unclear how long the new test of the larger photos and videos in feed will last, and Instagram plans to roll out even more iterations of the larger in-feed content test in the upcoming months, according to the spokesperson. So even if this test ends in a few weeks, you could find yourself back in another test soon after.

If you’re really not feeling the feed change, you can try spending more time in Instagram Stories, where IG recently introduced a new feature called Private Story Likes. You can keep tapping through Stories and doling out hearts while you wait for new updates about the feed test.

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