Ever wonder how Instagram decides which post or story you will see first? Know here

Instagram feed and stories are places where people want to see content from their friends, family, and those they are closest to. Whereas, Instagram explore was designed to discover new things based on recommendations. Reels are short and entertaining videos on Instagram. It invites you to create fun videos with friends or anyone on the platform.

Being on Instagram is fashionable nowadays. People love this platform for so many reasons. Just like Facebook, Instagram allows you to create your own personalized profile. Your account will show the news feed, keeping you updated. It is popular because of its globality, a way to share and connect. For the younger generation, it lets you into fads and trends.

But, have you ever noticed how Instagram works? How does Instagram decide what to show you first? It has finally revealed how its algorithm works.

Adam Mosseri, in a blog, explained the process and stated, "It's hard to trust what you don't understand. We want to do a better job of explaining how Instagram works."

"Today, we’re sharing the first in a series of posts that will shed more light on how Instagram’s technology works and how it impacts the experiences that people have across the app. This first post tries to answer questions like 'How does Instagram decide what shows up for me first?'; 'Why do some of my posts get more views than others?'; and 'How does Instagram decide what to show me in Explore?'"

How Instagram ranks Feed, Stories, Explore, and Reels?

1. Recently Shared: Recently shared pictures, videos, or reels from the people you follow, except few ads.
2. Signals: Next is the information on the app that was posted and the people who made those posts and preferences. Instagram calls these "Signals" as it includes everything from what time a post was shared to whether you’re using a phone or the web to how often you like videos. The most important signals are:

• Information about the post: This is about how popular the post is, how many people have liked it. Other details such as when it was posted, location, and how long it is if it’s a video.
• Information about the person who posted it
• Your activity: This is about knowing your interest and signals such as what kind of posts you’ve liked.
• Your history of interacting with someone: it’s likely the post was made by someone you’ve never heard of, but if you have interacted with them that gives us a sense of how interested you might be in what they shared.

Also, there are few exceptions: Instagram tries not to show too many posts from the same person in a row. If a post is against the Community Guidelines, then it gets taken down immediately.