Say goodbye to the old Instagram algorithm—2025 is bringing these 7 updates!
Trying to grow on Instagram but feeling stuck? Wondering how others are cracking the algorithm?
We get it—it’s a battle.
Things are changing regarding the Instagram algorithm in 2025 and it’s sometimes confusing.
That’s why we went straight to the top, analyzing what Instagram’s leadership revealed and backing it all with solid data.
No fluff, no guesswork. Just the strategies you need to dominate the 2025 algorithm and level up your growth.Ready to win friends? Let’s go.
1) In 2025, if you are a small account, the algorithm will be nice with you
3 out of 4 Instagram accounts have less than 10,000 followers, and even Instagram’s boss admits things need to change.
The numbers are clear: roughly 76% of Instagram accounts have fewer than 10,000 followers, and small creators have historically struggled to gain visibility.
As TikTok rises in popularity—with users spending an average of 54 minutes per day (more than on IG)—Instagram is losing ground.
Even the share of marketers viewing Instagram as the top platform for audience growth dropped from 23% in 2023 to 18% in 2024.
In two words, the platform faced mounting pressure to adapt.
Instagram's Head, Adam Mosseri, acknowledged these shortcomings in a Reel he published, stating, “Instagram has not been good enough by small creators.”
But change is coming. In a recent publication on their own blog, Instagram made it official:
While some updates began rolling out in 2024, Instagram plans to amplify these efforts in 2025, potentially revolutionizing opportunities for smaller creators. This move reflects Instagram’s need to remain competitive and address the platform’s evolving user habits.
For small creators, this could finally be their chance to break through and grow their presence in a more level playing field.
Sources : Instagram's Official Blog, Instagram Reel, Mashable, AP News, HubSpot, Backlinko
2) Actually, even if you are a small account, the algorithm will let your content reach a massive audience in 2025
If you post something great and the first viewers respond well, it’ll get shared with a lot of people.
Instagram's algorithm once prioritized engagement signals—likes, comments, shares, and saves—from a creator's existing followers.
Content mostly reached current followers, favoring larger accounts with established audiences.
For smaller accounts, it was discouraging since reposted trending content often outperformed original creations due to algorithm bias.
However, Instagram's Reels algorithm update now adopts a more inclusive approach to content distribution.
Now, every eligible piece of content gets shown to a small audience likely to enjoy it.As Instagram explained in their blog,
If that content performs well, it reaches progressively larger audiences.
Or, as Instagram puts it,
This update gives creators of all sizes a fairer shot at reaching new audiences, making original content more rewarding than ever.
Sources : Instagram's Official Blog, TechCrunch
3) In 2025, if you repost too much content, the algorithm will shadowban you
Accounts reposting 10+ pieces in 30 days will be dropped from recommendations—no exceptions.
Small creators on Instagram have long struggled to earn recognition.
About 70% of them make less than 10% of their income from brand partnerships, and only 12% of full-time creators earn more than $50,000 annually.
A major issue has been reposted content overshadowing original creators.
The following comment, with 250+ likes, directly posted on Instagram CEO's own account, expresses this frustration:
Indeed, larger accounts frequently reshare content from smaller creators without proper credit. This practice has marginalized small creators in an already competitive environment.
Instagram is addressing this by prioritizing originality in its recommendations.
In their blog, they explained:
Reposted content will now carry a label linking to the original creator, and original content will directly replace reposted versions in recommendations.
Additionally, accounts reposting 10 or more pieces of content in 30 days without will be excluded from recommendations.
These changes align with Instagram’s broader commitment to helping creators.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head (yes - we will talk a lot about him in this blog post ; because he's a very reliable source to know what's up with Instagram, and we love reliable sources), acknowledged, “Not enough goes out to the little guys.”. Mark Zuckerberg, the very big boss of Instagram, added, “We’re heading towards a future where more people can do creative work they enjoy, and I want platforms like ours to play a role in making that happen.”
Finally, please note that reposting is not entirely restricted under the new rules.
Here’s what is still allowed:
- Reposting is allowed with proper permission and credit to the original creator.
- Reposting to Stories remains unaffected by the new rules.
- Publishers with licensing agreements are exempt from these restrictions.
Sources : Instagram's Official Blog, Dice, The Leap, Statista, Influencer Marketing Hub
4) In 2025, "Views" become one of the most important metrics in the Instagram algorithm
From Instagram CEO : "We’re making an update within insights to make “Views” the primary metric for Reels, Stories, photos and carousels."
Instagram's CEO recently shared on his account:
As a creator, you might find this change a bit confusing—you're not alone.
Here’s a breakdown to make things clearer for you:
- "Views" now replace "Plays" and are consistent across videos, photos, and carousels.
- "Views" ≠ "Reach": A "view" counts every time content is watched, even by the same person multiple times, while "reach" measures unique viewers.
This shift aligns with industry trends for 2025, where platforms like Meta's Threads and X (formerly Twitter) also prioritize view metrics as the standard for performance.
Now, your success is measured by how many eyes stay on your work.
Sources : Instagram, The Verge, X Guide
5) In 2025, if people are sharing your content through DMs, the algorithm’s going to give you a big boost
Will 2025 be all about memes and low-quality laughs?
When you think about it, what does Instagram actually want? For you to spend more time on the platform and provide valuable data. That’s it.
And that’s why Instagram loves it when people share content with each other.
When users share content via direct messages (DMs), they're not just consuming content; they're engaging in conversations around it.
This keeps users active on the platform for extended periods and provides Instagram with valuable data on user preferences and social networks.
So, without surprise, an algorithm change for 2025 will be about the “send” metric.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, recently admitted in a Reel that a key factor influencing content ranking is how often audiences send your content to others, known as "send per reach".
"When you're creating content, think about creating something that people would want to send to a friend. Don't force it, but sends are one of the biggest signals we use in ranking and can help your reach over time."
This metric measures how frequently viewers share a post via direct messages relative to its total reach.
However, as you can see, he cautioned creators: "Don't force it", warning against trying to create overly attention-grabbing or artificially shareable content.
From this, we can easily deduce that memes are a type of content likely to benefit from this ranking factor.
This might not please everyone, as reflected in some reactions to his announcements:
But it doesn't just apply to memes—it also includes Reels.
Indeed, Meta has recognized that Reels are the most shared type of content. Looking at the data, we see that 40-50% of the content “sent” between Instagram users consists of Reels (in fact, 694,000 Reels are shared via DM every minute).
Yes, Reels continue to be the most engaging content type on the platform overall
Sources : Instagram, Instagram Reel, Statista, Meta Reels
6) In 2025, Instagram's users will have more control over their own algorithm
If you like to post sensitive or political content, some users might want to exclude you
Until now, there’s clearly been too much toxic content on social media.
A Pew Research Center survey found that 48% of adults feel they have little control over social media content, while 33% believe they have no control at all.
Another research made in 2023 revealed users prefer personalized moderation settings, especially when they support free speech or perceive harmful effects from content.
Finally, a late 2024 survey of 2,000 Gen Z Americans showed 75% blame social media for their declining mental health and want more control over their feeds to reduce stress and anxiety.
That's because of this trend that we can find comments like this one directly posted on the IG account of the Head of Instagram (true story !):
Previously, users could unfollow accounts or mark posts as "Not Interested," but these options were reactive and lacked proactive tools to manage recommendations.
Instagram has now introduced tools like Sensitive Content Control and Political Content Control.
Sensitive Content Control lets users adjust how much sensitive material—such as violent or sexually suggestive content—they see in Explore, Search, and Reels with options like "Allow," "Limit," or "Limit Even More."
Political Content Control ensures users won’t see political content from unfollowed accounts by default in Reels, Explore, or Suggested Accounts. Preferences can also be adjusted to show more or less of this type of content.
Instagram stated:
These algorithm updates mark a proactive shift, addressing concerns about content’s impact on mental health … which is a good thing!
Let’s also note that Instagram has introduced a feature that allows users to reset their content recommendations across the Feed, Explore, and Reels sections.
This "algorithm reset" enables users to clear the app's existing data on their preferences, offering a fresh start for content suggestions.
As Instagram CEO put it : “If you get into a bad spot, you can now reset all your recommendations across all your Instagram surfaces (...) It’s going to make your Instagram much less interesting at first (...) But if you do end up in a place where you really don’t feel great about your experience, this gives you an out.”.
Sources : Instagram Help Center, Instagram's Official Blog, Facebook, ArXiv, Statista, New York Post
7) In 2025, Instagram actually wants you to better understand their algorithms
Go check the new built-in tool they have made for you
If you’re a creator, you’ve likely felt the frustration of Instagram’s lack of transparency when it comes to its algorithms.
Many brands and businesses, like yourself, have grappled with the confusion surrounding Instagram’s algorithm—especially when visibility and monetization are on the line.
Without clear guidance, it’s easy to wonder why your posts aren’t reaching their intended audience or gaining the traction you worked so hard for.
Recognizing this widespread concern, Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, took to his own Instagram account to share educational content aimed at helping users to better understand how the algorithms work.
The response? Overwhelmingly positive. Take a look at one of his reels, and you’ll find creators leaving comments like these ones:
Building on this momentum, Instagram took a game-changing step on October 1, 2024, by launching the "Best Practices" tool.
Available within the Professional Dashboard, this feature is designed for creators like you, offering personalized tips and insights based on your account’s performance.
The tool tackles crucial areas such as content creation, engagement strategies, reach optimization, monetization, and platform guidelines. Through educational videos and advice from top creators, it simplifies Instagram’s algorithm—turning confusion into actionable insights that can boost your content’s success.
This is a major change for 2025.
Sources : Instagram's Official Blog, Meta Guide, Instagram's CEO own IG account,
