Why does my Instagram feed feel dead and full of ads?

[TimothyQM]

I’ve noticed my Instagram feed feels completely dead lately—it’s just the same few people posting, and my explore page is full of ads and suggested content from strangers. I’m starting to wonder if the app’s algorithm is struggling because so many of my friends have quietly stopped sharing personal updates.

[JasonL]

I notice the feed feels stuck, like the same few faces keep posting. I muted a few accounts that were clogging the suggestions and started commenting more on friends’ posts, but the rhythm didn’t come back. I wonder if the algorithm is filtering differently now.

[Harper17]

I started using the Following tab more, followed a couple of small creators, and muted a handful of accounts that were dragging in noise. It helped a little—some fresh posts slid into the feed and the explore page felt less cluttered, though it’s still mostly ads.

[AlexanderNL]

Do you think the real problem is fewer updates from friends, or is the app just showing more ads and random content now?

[Paisley.T]

I tried clearing the cache and reinstalling once, kept a rough log for a week: posts from friends were down, and the new creators weren’t enough to fill the gap. It felt like a patch rather than a fix, and I wasn’t sure what to try next. Also maybe I’m just tired of the app lately.