TechCrunch reported that on August 30, technology giant Meta announced that social media platform Instagram is testing two new features to help users control the content they see on the app.
First, the company is testing the ability to help users mark multiple posts on the Discover page with the "No Caring" option. Meta said it will immediately hide these posts and will not display similar content in the future.
Meta's own photo sharing platform will also begin testing the ability to let users choose not to view recommended posts with certain words, phrases, or emojis in captions or cards starting with #.
In a blog post, Meta shared: The important thing for us is to make users feel satisfied with the time they spend on Instagram. So the company will continue to develop features that help people control what they see more of.
The launch of new features comes as Instagram decided to temporarily reduce the number of suggested posts that users see.
Previously, many users expressed disappointment when Instagram prioritized displaying short videos and used the algorithm of suggesting content to users even though they did not follow.
At the time, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the app would temporarily reduce the number of suggested posts that users see so that the app can rank better and make recommendations to users.
In the latest announcement, Meta also shares tips that people can use to see more of what they want on Instagram. For example, you can use the application's Favorite Database option to scroll through posts from your favorite accounts.
When you add an account to your data source, you will see posts from that account more often. You can access the Like data feed by clicking on the Instagram icon in your data feed.
You can also temporarily remove the suggested posts completely by temporarily hiding them for 30 days. To report recommended posts, you need to click X in the upper right corner, then select the option "Report all recommended posts within 30 days".
The company notes that users can see some content on the app even though it does not violate their rules, but it can still be uncomfortable when viewing.
You can view your sensitive content control by going to your profile, clicking the Settings menu, and selecting sensitive content control.
Instagram's above moves are being seen as a way to reassure users after the company made major changes to its app to compete with TikTok and perform better as a creator-focused platform.
