The 2026 algorithm: How to reach more people on Instagram?

When did the Instagram algorithm change?

The Instagram algorithm updates continuously, with major changes typically rolling out a few times a year and smaller refinements happening far more frequently. Adam Mosseri, Instagram's head, regularly shares updates on his own Instagram account as changes roll out.

Understanding 2025-2026 Instagram algorithm updates: What does the Instagram algorithm prioritise?

The Instagram algorithm changes often to manage behaviour shifts. People react differently to content over time, and Instagram regularly updates its algorithm across all parts of the app to keep users engaged and help them discover relevant content.

1. Engagement and views decide

Not all user interactions carry the same weight, but the number of interactions with a post signals its value to the algorithm. Instagram prioritises posts that generate comments, likes, saves and shares, with DM shares counting as strong signals that content resonated with viewers. 

Recently, Instagram rolled out new engagement tools including "Hype Comments," which allow users to comment on a Story. These features give people more ways to respond and act as conversation starters that tell the algorithm how engaging a piece of content is. The Explore page algorithm focuses specifically on presenting highly engaging, trending content to new audiences.

Tip: Pay attention to your shares and saves data in Instagram Insights. These are now among the strongest signals for algorithmic distribution, weighted more heavily than likes.

2. The Continued AI-ification of the Instagram Algorithm

Instagram has also updated its algorithm with new AI features, including:

• Using advanced AI to suggest niche content tailored to individual preferences. This update aims to deliver a more personalised and engaging experience for users.
• Instagram has begun testing AI-generated images within user feeds. These images are designed based on user interests and trends. Some AI-generated posts may even incorporate users’ faces, merging AI-created and user-generated content.
• The algorithm has improved its ability to analyse the actual content of images and videos beyond captions and hashtags. This enhancement allows for better categorisation and more accurate content recommendations.

3. Quality Control Remains Top Priority

Instagram has accelerated its crackdown on spam accounts and bots, which dilute feed quality and undermine community trust. Scammers frequently impersonate popular creators and use fake accounts to target followers via DMs. Tackling this is a continued focus, as platform safety is a strong signal of long-term user retention.

4. Adam Mosseri emphasises the change from safety to free speech

Meta has quietly moved away from aggressively moderating misinformation and hate speech.

"We’re going to reduce over-enforcement, cut down on mistakes and phase political content back in with a more personalized approach. Instagram was founded on the idea of creativity and giving everyone a voice, and this focus on free speech will help us get back to those roots." - Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

Critics, including former US president Joe Biden, have pushed back, calling the removal of fact-checking "really shameful." The community guideline changes include the removal of rules prohibiting certain language around transgender and non-binary people, and the removal of warnings against some forms of discriminatory content.

5. Users See More Suggested Posts

Instagram now includes more algorithm-based recommendations alongside content from accounts a viewer follows. By adding suggested posts similar to content a user typically engages with, Instagram encourages discovery of new, relevant creators. This means follower count is no longer the primary driver of reach, strong content can now surface to new audiences regardless of account size.

6. Original Content Remains Valued

Instagram promotes original content over reposts to keep feeds fresh and engaging. When Instagram detects repeated content or a watermark from another platform, it will only recommend the original post unless the content has been significantly changed. Reposted content will also include a link back to the original creator.

As Mosseri has said: "People expressing themselves is the heartbeat of Instagram. One of the things I've learned from speaking with creators is how important getting credit for their work is to them."

Tip: Content that feels native to Instagram — without TikTok watermarks or repurposed captions — consistently performs better across all parts of the app.

7. The Balance of Photo and Video Content

In 2022, Reels dominated Instagram's algorithm. However, Instagram has since worked to rebalance visibility across formats. Mosseri has acknowledged the overcorrection: "I think we were overfocused on video in 2022 and pushed ranking too far and basically showed too many videos and not enough photos."

Today, the algorithm evaluates viewer behaviour across formats, anaylsing how often someone likes or comments on photos versus videos, and distributes content accordingly. Carousels, photos and Reels now compete on a more level playing field, with engagement quality and watch time mattering more than format. When assessing performance, it is worth reviewing the past few weeks of posts across formats to identify which content types are generating the strongest signals for your specific audience.

8. Trial Reels: test before you publish

Trial Reels allow creators to show content to non-followers first, without publishing it directly to their main profile. If the Reel performs well with that cold audience, it can then be published broadly. Mosseri has specifically recommended this feature as a priority for 2026.

What are the 5 main factors of the Instagram algorithm?

The algorithm considers five main factors when deciding whether a post should appear on a user's feed. Each informs the platform's predictions about which content will be most engaging. Understanding this is the foundation of any effective Instagram strategy.

As Instagram puts it, they assess "how likely you are to spend a few seconds on a post, comment on it, like it, reshare it, and tap on the profile photo."

1. Interest and Interactions

The algorithm predicts how much a user will care about a post based on their past behaviour with similar content. It also looks at how others have interacted with the content, such as watch time, likes, comments, saves and shares all feed into this ranking system.

Saves are particularly valuable, signalling that someone found the content worth returning to. Educational posts, tutorials, infographics and relatable memes that people want to revisit or send to a close friend consistently perform well. DM shares are now one of the strongest signals of all, telling the algorithm that content is worth pushing to new audiences.

The performance data Instagram collects across all these interactions determines how widely a post is distributed, making content quality and genuine engagement far more important than posting volume.

2. Interactions with the Content Creator

Instagram prioritises content from accounts a user regularly interacts with through likes, comments, direct messages and search queries. It is not about close friends or family in a personal sense, it is about the frequency and depth of interactions with an account over time.

3. Post Recency

Instagram's algorithm prefers recent posts over older ones, ensuring users see up-to-date content. Posting consistently and at the right time matters. Use Instagram Insights to find your best times to post rather than relying on general benchmarks, as optimal posting windows vary significantly by account and audience.

4. Post Frequency

How often a user opens Instagram affects what they see. Users who check the app frequently will see a more chronological feed, while less frequent users will see content the algorithm considers most relevant to them. For creators, this means consistent posting is important, but video quality and content relevance will always outperform high-frequency, low-quality output.

5. Accounts followed and follower count

The number of accounts a user follows affects how competitive the feed is. Following many accounts makes it harder for any single creator to be prioritised consistently.

Follower count also plays a role on the creator side. Larger accounts tend to accumulate engagement signals more quickly, but engagement rate often drops as audiences grow. This is why working with nano or micro-influencers is a great way for brands to reach a engaged audiences. The takeaway is that meaningful interactions with a focused community are more valuable than broad reach with a passive one.

How does Instagram's algorithm classify Story content and Feeds?

Instagram assumes that users want to see the posts and Stories of the people they show the most interest in. Therefore, the first posts and Stories Instagram shows to a person will always be those from the accounts they follow, ranked by closeness or engagement.

This is particularly important on Stories because content appears only as a profile picture in a person's feed. If the user isn't interested in that person's content, they are unlikely to click on the Story. This is contrary to other parts of the app, where the content takes the lead rather than the account name.

To rank a Story, Instagram’s algorithm will rely on tons of data – called “signals” by the platform. There are thousands of them, but here are the four main types of signals that predominate, ranked in order of importance:

1. Information about the publication: These signals are based on metrics related to the post. For example, the number of likes, comments, recordings, average view rate, or engagement rate. But they are also based on other statistics related to the publication environment, including the date and time of the publication, video duration, and location tags.
2. Information about the post author: These signals are directly linked to the user's relationship with the account that published the content. For example, the number of interactions and message history.
3. Past user activity: These signals help Instagram determine whether or not a user will like a piece of content based on their interaction history with similar content. You can boost engagement by using the question sticker and encouraging people to interact with your Story.
4. User interaction history with the post author: These signals allow the algorithm to better understand the user’s interest in the content posted by a specific account (comment history, likes, check-ins).

Based on these signals, the algorithm for the Feed and Stories tries to predict which posts are most likely to prompt a user to take action. It ranks content according to the likelihood of the user doing one of the following:

• Watching the post for several seconds
• Saving it as a favourite
• Leaving a comment
• Liking it
• Tapping through to the profile

Each of these actions carries different weight. Saves and profile taps signal deep interest, while a like is a lighter touch. The algorithm reads all five together to build a picture of how valuable a piece of content is to a specific person, and how widely it should be distributed beyond them to similar audiences.

How does the Ig algorithm sort Reels?

Reels are intended to entertain the user, regardless of closeness. As a result, the majority of the content comes from unfollowed accounts. To rank videos, the algorithm focuses specifically on signals related to an individual’s appreciation of the video.

In 2025, every time a user watches a Reel, it adds to the view count. In the past, only the first view counted, while the following views were ignored.

The main signals used by the Reels algorithm are:

1. User activity: These signals analyse the user’s behaviour towards Reels that they have recently liked, commented or saved.
2. The user’s interaction history with the author of the Reel: Although most of the content offered is not from accounts the user follows, if they have interacted with that account in the past, the Reel will be particularly highlighted.
3. Information about the Reel: This data comes strictly from the Reel itself, including the audio track, type of content, viewing time, average engagement, location tags, and popularity.
4. Information about the author of the Reel: These signals will highlight creators who produce content that is constantly appealing and engaging.

Using these signals, Instagram’s algorithm will make predictions based on factors measuring the likelihood of the user doing one of the following four actions:

1. The user views the Reel in its entirety
2. The user likes the Reel
3. User comments on the Reel
4. The user goes to the page of the music used

How does Instagram's algorithm rank posts on the Explore page?

As with Reels, the Explore tab is intended to introduce people to new content. On this page, Instagram compiles photos and videos that users should like based on their past app behaviour (views, likes, comments, check-ins) rather than content from their closest friends or favourite accounts.

Once the app has found a number of photos to suggest to the user, it ranks them mainly according to four signals:

1. Information about the post: These signals are based on how often and how quickly users like, comment on, save, and share the post.
2. The history of the user’s interactions with the publication's author: Again, it is highly likely that the user has never interacted with the author. If this is the case, the publication will be highlighted even more.
3. User activity: These signals use metrics of user interaction with certain types of content (likes, saves, comments) and with the Explore tab in general.
4. Information about the publisher: This data is based on how often other users with similar interests have interacted with the publication's publisher in the past weeks.

Tips and tricks: How do I boost my Instagram algorithm?

Understanding how the algorithm decides which content to show is the first step to getting noticed. Here are the specific actions you can take to increase your visibility.

1. Hook viewers in the first three seconds

Your skip rate (the percentage of viewers who leave in the first three seconds) is one of the most important metrics the algorithm uses to assess content quality.  A strong hook does not need to be dramatic, but it needs to give the viewer an immediate reason to keep watching. 

2. Boost reach by publishing fun and interactive content

Put the user at the centre of your strategy. Content that performs well tends to either make someone laugh, teach them something genuinely useful, say something that feels personally relevant, or present a perspective they have not seen before. Saves signal deep interest to the algorithm, while DM shares are now one of the strongest signals for reaching new audiences. Ask yourself: would someone send this to a close friend or save it to come back to later?

2. Instagram has reduced its focus on Reels

Following its tradition of boosting accounts that use new features, Instagram boosted Reels when they first launched. As a result, right after their introduction in 2020, Reels became highly popular on the app, encouraging Instagram to promote them heavily in 2022. But by 2024,Reels had taken a backfoot. However, they remain an excellent way to reach new audiences.

3. Reels and carousels are your best tools for reach

Reels remain one of the best ways to reach new audiences, particularly for accounts looking to grow beyond their existing followers. Carousels are equally powerful because Instagram reshows unseen slides, creating multiple impression opportunities from a single post, and they generate consistently high save rates. Together, Reels and carousels cover the two key goals of any Instagram strategy: reaching new audiences and deepening engagement with existing ones. Test across both formats and let your performance data guide where to focus.

4. Use Trial Reels to test before you publish

Trial Reels allow you to show content to non-followers before publishing it to your main profile. If a Trial Reel performs well with a cold audience delivering a strong watch time, low skip rate, good share rate that is a reliable signal that people enjoyed the content and its' worth publishing broadly. You can use this feature to experiment with new hooks, formats or topics without risking harming your engagement history over time.

5. Post at the best times for your audience

Posting when your followers are active increases the likelihood of your content appearing at the top of their feed. Use Instagram Insights to find the best times to post rather than relying on general benchmarks. Tools like Loomly and Agorapulse can also help identify optimal posting windows based on your followers' habits.

6. Promote your latest posts on Stories

Instagram does not show your posts to all of your followers. But you can use Stories to let your audience know when you have posted something new, and use interactive features like polls and question stickers to generate engagement signals that tell the algorithm your content is worth distributing more widely.

7. Encourage meaningful interactions and use relevant keywords

The algorithm evaluates content quality through the depth of user interaction. Comments, saves, shares and likes all contribute, but quality of engagement matters as well as quantity. Include questions in captions to drive comments and calls to action to encourage saves.

Using relevant keywords in captions, bios and alt text now works better than hashtag stuffing. This helps Instagram categorise your content accurately and surface it to the right people. Your engagement history with your audience also matters. Accounts that build consistent two-way interactions are ranked higher in feeds and pushed to the front of Stories trays.

8. Respect guidelines

Respecting community guidelines is crucial for maintaining a positive presence on the social media platform and avoiding being flagged as spam. These guidelines include prohibitions against hate speech, violence, nudity, and other inappropriate content. Adhering to these rules not only protects your account from being penalised or banned but also promotes a positive community atmosphere where users can engage safely.

Additionally, it's important to avoid behaviours that can be perceived as spam. This includes repetitive, irrelevant, or excessive posting, mass following or unfollowing, excessive liking, and repetitive comments. Such activities can trigger Instagram's spam detection mechanisms and result in your account being flagged or even temporarily suspended. By posting meaningful content and engaging authentically with your audience, you ensure that your account remains in good standing and continues to grow organically. Respecting these guidelines helps maintain the integrity of your account and fosters a healthier Instagram community.

Instagram Marketing - Beating Instagram Algorithm for Brands

Knowing how the Instagram algorithm works is essential for any brand marketing on the platform. The algorithm determines the visibility of your content, which directly affects its reach and impact. By understanding what it prioritises, you improve your chances of being seen by a larger and more targeted audience — and you make smarter decisions about which influencers to work with.

Key Engagement Metrics

The algorithm prioritises posts with high engagement. Likes, comments, saves and DM shares all signal to the algorithm that content is valuable and worth distributing more widely. When choosing influencers for a campaign, engagement rate is a more reliable indicator of impact than follower count alone.

Assessing these metrics manually is time-consuming and inconsistent. A platform like Kolsquare allows you to search a database of over four million creators, filter by engagement rate, audience demographics, credibility score and content category, and identify the right partners quickly. Once a campaign is live, Kolsquare acts as a central hub for influencer communications, content tracking and performance reporting, giving you the data you need to optimise as the campaign runs rather than waiting until it ends.

Book in for a Kolsquare demo free today.

Content recency and posting frequency

Instagram prioritises recent content, so consistent posting is important for maintaining visibility. However, quality always outperforms quantity. Posting too frequently with weak content can reduce engagement rates over time, while posting less often with stronger content tends to perform better. 

As a result, the most effective influencer marketing involves collaborating with an influencer long term rather than short term, even though these options are lower risk.

Content formats, relevant keywords and hashtags

Instagram has worked to rebalance visibility across content formats. A mix of Reels, carousels and photos gives your content the best chance of reaching both new and existing audiences.

Using relevant keywords in captions, bios and alt text now carries more algorithmic weight than hashtag volume. Instagram's search has evolved into a keyword-driven system, so natural keyword usage throughout your content helps the algorithm categorise it accurately and surface it to the right people. Where hashtags are used, keep them focused and relevant. 

For paid partnerships and sponsored content, always include the appropriate disclosure label alongside any Collabs tag. Transparency is both a legal requirement and a trust signal that audiences increasingly respond to positively.

Start your high-reach Instagram strategy

Understanding the Instagram algorithm is only half the battle. To consistently reach new audiences and grow engagement, know how content performs, how likely it is to be seen and which content formats are working for your audience.

A platform like Kolsquare gives brands and influencer marketing teams the data they need to identify the right creators, track campaign performance and understand what is resonating with audiences, all in one place. Book a demo to get started.