Instagram is testing an option to show the latest posts first

Instagram hasn't been quite the same since it switched from a chronological feed to an algorithm-driven one back in 2016 – but a new feature spotted in the app's code suggests users might soon get a new way to see the most recent posts first.

Serial tipster Jane Manchun Wong found the option, which doesn't appear to regular users at the moment. A splash screen appears, offering to help you "get caught up" on new posts from particular people.

This doesn't seem to be a full-on return to the chronological feed, but it might be enough to satisfy some of those who have been clamouring to see recent activity on Instagram ahead of what the app thinks are the best posts of the day.

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Over the years Instagram has actually tweaked its algorithms so that timely photos and videos have a better chance of appearing at the top of the feed, and there have been previous tests of a 'new posts' feature too.

No launch plans

It's not clear when or if this 'latest posts' feature is ever going to see the light of day officially, but there's no doubt it's something that Instagram developers are thinking about and actively testing.

Alexandru Voica, part of the communications team, confirmed on Twitter that the feature was part of a recent hackathon at Facebook, an event where coders get to experiment outside of their usual day-to-day programming.

"It is not available to anyone publicly, and we have no plans to test or launch it at this time," said Voica, so it sounds like we won't be getting this option in Instagram for a while yet, at least.

The most recent feature to get added to the social networking app is a tool for showing the users you interact with least. If you want to cut down on the number of accounts you're following, then this is a good place to start.