Here's how Instagram's new 'Suggested Posts' feature works - and if you can turn it off

The new feature from the social media site hasn't been too popular with many of its users (Photo: Shutterstock)The new feature from the social media site hasn't been too popular with many of its users (Photo: Shutterstock)
The new feature from the social media site hasn't been too popular with many of its users (Photo: Shutterstock)

Instagram has launched Suggested Posts, a new feature aimed at keeping users scrolling for longer.

This is everything you need to know about Suggested Posts - and how to disable it.

What are suggested posts?

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Instagram had previously implemented a feature that alerted users when they have reached the end of their feed, meaning that they have caught up on all the posts over the past two days from people that they follow.

When you see this message, you are given the option to see older posts, which would allow you to keep scrolling through posts from people that you follow.

Now, Instagram has released a new feature called “suggested posts” which means that when you hit this message saying you’re all caught up, Instagram will now show you posts from accounts you don’t follow.

Instagram states that “these suggestions are based on posts from accounts like the ones you follow and posts similar to the ones you like or save”.

How do I turn off Suggested Posts?

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The bad news for those sick of seeing random posts from people they don’t follow is that you can’t actually turn off this feature.

A recent FAQ post from Instagram specifically states: “You won’t be able to hide Suggested Posts.”

However, at the very least, you can train Instagram to make the suggested posts more relevant to you.

When scrolling through your feed, if you come across a suggested post that you don’t like or aren’t interested in, you can tap the three dots on the right hand side of the screen opposite the account’s username.

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Tapping these three dots will bring up a few options, one of which says “not interested”.

If you click on the not interested option, the post will be hidden and you’ll be presented with a message that says: “This post has been hidden. We’ll show fewer posts like this from now on.”

While it’s frustrating that this feature cannot be permanently disabled, at least this way Instagram can more closely tailor the suggested posts to your specific tastes.

What has the reaction from users been like?

Reaction to the new feature from the social media site has been less than positive, with users frustrated that their feeds are now being filled up by accounts that they don’t follow.

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People flocked to Twitter to let their feelings on the matter be known.

One user tweeted: “First Instagram gives me an ad for something I don’t care about and then it gives me “suggested posts” from people I don’t care about???? Who tf is on the Instagram beta team and approved this s**t?”

Another wrote: “@Instagram forcing suggested posts onto my home feed then shoving my actual feed into an “older posts” tab?? You already run ads every 4 posts & don’t update based on a timeline so I miss a lot of content that I WANT to see. Keep your explore page to yourself. Leave me alone.”

“Instagram, if I wanted to see suggested posts, I’ll go to the explore page where suggested posts belong. DO NOT SCREW WITH MY FEED,” said another.

Someone else tweeted: “Does Instagram realise… I follow the people I follow for a reason and don’t want them putting “suggested posts” on my feed?”

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