See also: 7 new social media apps that could be big in 2016 But the Instagram community is not pleased, even more so now that everyone is posting annoying “turn on notifications” photos in the hopes that they won’t suffer from the changes. But do you really need to turn on Instagram notifications for all of the people you follow? My Instagram timeline has been completely flooded by people asking me to turn on notifications that’ll alert me every time they share a photo. They all claim that Instagram will be updating tomorrow (and they’ve been claiming this since last week).
A photo posted by Giovanna Fletcher (@mrsgifletcher) on Mar 28, 2016 at 11:06am PDT Actually, we don’t know when Instagram is going to change its algorithm. So far, Instagram has merely said: “In the coming months.” And even that isn’t set in stone. Instagram has said that the change will roll out gradually, and that we’ll all be aware when it’s about to happen. “We’re listening and we assure you nothing is changing with your feed right now,” tweeted Instagram on 28 March. “We promise to let you know when changes roll out broadly.” And even when it does roll out, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your photos won’t be seen by your followers. In fact, it could help followers see your photos even more, as Instagram claims that the average user is currently missing 70% of the photos shared by people they follow. “The order of photos and videos in your feed will be based on the likelihood you’ll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post,” Instagram said on its blog. “As we begin, we’re focusing on optimising the order – all the posts will still be there, just in a different order.” That’s why we’d recommend avoiding turning on notifications for the people you follow, at least for now. The likelihood is that you will in fact see the photos you want to see from the people you like the most. The more you interact with a user, whether it’s liking their posts or commenting on them, the more often you’ll see their photos at the top of your timeline. If you do decide to turn on notifications for lots of people, expect your phone to be buzzing constantly and your battery life to take a hit. To turn on notifications for individuals simply tap the three dots in the top right corner of a post and choose Turn on Post Notifications. You’ll also like: How to add extra accounts to Instagram How to delete your Instagram account How to remove your location from Instagram Ashleigh is Tech Advisor’s Head of Affiliate. Providing expert buying advice you can trust is her forte, helping you to find the most reputable consumer tech products and services, and ensuring you don’t spend a penny more than you should.
