Why does my Instagram feed feel dead with ads and suggested posts?

[Andrew_L]

I’ve noticed my Instagram feed feels completely dead lately—just ads and suggested posts from people I don’t follow. I miss seeing updates from my actual friends, but I’m not sure if they’ve all just stopped posting or if the algorithm is hiding them. Has anyone else had this happen?

[Brian.W]

Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing. It feels like my timeline is mostly ads and random posts from people I don’t follow, and I barely see updates from my friends anymore.

[AbigailMT]

I tried cleaning up who I follow a bit. Unfollowed some inactive accounts, bumped a few friends to favorites, and scrolled the home screen less. It helped a little, but it’s not a fix.

[Gary52]

Maybe they’re posting less or I’m just missing them because of timing. I swear a couple of friends posted yesterday and I didn’t see it until later. Do you notice a pattern with timing?

[Avery_C]

Sometimes it feels like the algorithm prioritizes sponsored stuff over real posts. I even started watching more reels and got sucked into random creators, which just makes it worse. Hard to know if I should blame myself for not engaging enough or the platform for changing the balance.