In the future, Instagram users will be able to better filter the explore area in the social media app and tailor it to their interests.
Enlarge
New filters for the Explore section of Instagram.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced new options for Instagram this week. In the future, users of the social network should have more control over what is displayed to them in the app.
No control over suggested posts yet
Both innovations affect the “Explore” area of Instagram. Users can access this by clicking on the magnifying glass symbol. Posts that Instagram believes might be of interest to you based on previous interactions are displayed here. Previously, users had no control over what was displayed in this area. That should change with the introduction of new filter options.
Edit mode behind the filter icon
Next to the search field at the top of the screen, Instagram wants to display a small filter icon in the future. If users tap on it, they can choose between the options “not interested” and “sensitive content”. A tap on the first option puts all content in the “Explore” tab in an edit mode. All posts displayed here can now be ticked to show Instagram that the selected posts are of no interest to the user. Based on this selection, the social network will in future display fewer posts on these topics.
In addition to the graphical selection of uninteresting posts, Instagram will soon also be able to add hashtags, words or emojis to the list of uninteresting topics. The two new filter options are currently still in the test phase. When exactly they will be activated for all users is still unclear.
