Instagram has officially moved for the change that it has been unsuccessfully auspicious for years. The feature that made the feed to refresh each time a user opens the app after they have left it to stay inactive has been done away with. This is a change that will help eradicate a complaint most of the users had when they wanted to revisit the posts. Before that, the auto-refresh would cause some of the posts which the users had seen to vanish and the users would have to search for that content they had read just a moment ago.
Instagram Removes Annoying Auto-Refresh
This was revealed by the head of Instagram and specifically the idea was presented under the argument of enhancing the overall user experience. The idea is to bring more comfort and enjoyment to the process of browsing, rather than sacrificing user’s time and attention on seemingly unending auto-refresh. Users will now be able to revisit the posts that were posted on their timeline and that appeared on their screen without the concern of scrolling through, only to find that they have all scrolled off screen before they can engage with them.
This change corresponds with the update that Instagram has been gradually making the platform more user-centred and designed for simplicity for using social media. For example, users reported frequently experiencing auto-refresh as annoying and unsuitable for use when the aim is to interact with threads that one had not interacted with. When eliminating this feature, Instagram seeks to build back some of the stability users are grateful for in their social media platforms.
It has been introduced at a time when Instagram is making so many changes to make the whole application better. Mobile developers have recently been trying out different approach to improve the usefulness of the application. By doing so Instagram is proving that they are attentive to the needs of the users on the platform who admittedly called for the removal of auto-refreshing on their feeds.
What unfolds from it would be interesting as the patterns of users change as they start using the new change the app comes with. While some people may still miss the auto-refresh feature, the new approach is set to offer a more predictable, and less interrupting mode when using Instagram. For many this change will make the moment of using the app less pressed for time, making it a more enjoyable experience.
Instagram Ditches Auto-Refresh Feature
In a Q&A session that took place a while ago, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, briefly spoke on one of the update that people have been looking forward to. He said that the company has recently stopped the internal code named ‘pulling the rug,’ In which, Instagram was refreshing the feed when the users open the app again after some time. This alteration, the audience expects to reduce frustration levels and improve the usability of Instagram.
So the “pulling the rug” feature was quite useful here to make certain that users would only see the freshest posts and videos each time they launched the app. The original purpose of loading new content as swiftly as possible was further complicated by the following drawbacks: Some of the users said that previously viewed posts on the feed would just be replaced with new posts they had not looked at yet and thus, they had to scroll to look for posts that they were looking at just a few moments ago. It occurred at unavoidable intersections of browsing and disrupted the calm, logical progression of web use.
Fortunately, Instagram has solved this problem with the help of the most recent updates acting on how the application displays new posts. Unlike before when using the feed, Instagram now does not immediately refresh whenever the user opens the application; instead of replacing the prior seen posts, it keeps them intact. The new content is only inserted when the user scrolls down the feed, thus giving the impression that browsing is more organised and expected. The feed update is the one set to give users more MW and less MW in their interactions with the content they find on the feed.
This decision is one string in Instagram’s bow which has aimed at the improvement of application interface based on more active users’ feedback in 2021. Over the last few months, the company has made some changes to the application services with the intention of improving upon the apps somehow. Removing auto-refresh is something Instagram aims at making some of the lost features possible with a view of making it simple and stable in the way it can be enjoyed.
Since the update will gradually be implemented, it will be compelling to determine how the users will initially and eventually respond to the change. Some users may still not like the previous auto refresh behavior, but most users will probably prefer this change which we find more predictable. For many users, the option to retain the posts they wanted to scroll through without having to refresh a page in the process will make the use of the app more enjoyable and distinct.
Instagram Prioritizes User Experience Over Engagement Metrics
Actually, the new update of Insta, where the ability to automatically refresh the page is deprecated, is a calculated step towards the general improvement of the application. This may also lead to a slight reduction in engagement metrics but the company expects it will make for a better less frustrating browsing experience. The elimination of auto feed refreshes for example means that it allows users to engage with the posts they are already viewing and this makes them spend more time interacting and not mere complained scroll down that maybe forced by the appearance of new post.
By deciding it is acceptable to take actions that reduce user engagement in order to increase users’ convenience, Facebook and similar companies are moving in a direction already observed in social media services, where users’ satisfaction is as valuable, if not more so, than active interactions. While ESL maps such as views and likes are used to measure the success, they are sending a clear message to everyone: enhancing user experience is now the goal. This transition also recognises the fact that daily engagement with new posts may not be healthy for the user, each time resulting to unnecessary agitation or overwhelming news feed.
Besides enhancing the usability of the application, this update corresponds with another long-term approach of Instagram in enhancing the quality of posts shared on the platform, focusing on Stories and Reels above all. Through this, the platform aims to serve more popular content,ing out content which few people watch, to the latter, making a clear note to serve those with wide-engaging videos. This change alone aids in content discovery but also fits into the sites’ overall mission of helping to create better, more shareable media.
As such, this change will affect how users engage with Stories and Reels moving on to the next step. To achieve this, Instagram focuses on viewed videos, thus promoting a richer and more active content that will popularize engaging popular videos. While this might take some air out of two tier content with low following, it confirms that people will watch content that is interesting to them, thereby enhancing the quality of the content delivered to the platform.
Finally, the update reflects the company’s work toward improving the users’ experience of Instagram while promoting a reasonable compromise between interaction rates and the quality of posted content. To a certain extent, the temporary diminishment of particular engagement metrics might pose an issue for certain creators and brands but the long-term ultimate satisfaction of a user base has to be a win that overshadows all the rest, doesn’t it? With these features in growing, this focus to improve user experience can help cause a more long-term and positive platform in the future of Instagram.
