Instagram Just Made A Major Update To The Way Posts Show Up In Your Home Feed & It’s A Lot – UPDATE

Just in time for the end of the year, Instagram appears to be rolling out a brand new feature. It's been a whirlwind year for Instagram. The social media app has rolled out more than a few new features. But, I must confess that the latest Instagram Home Feed update to tap through posts like Stories is very jarring. Honestly, the update noticed by users on Dec. 27 is going to take some time to get used to. Here’s what you need to know about the new feature.

UPDATE: In an emailed statement on Thursday, Dec. 27, an Instagram spokesperson tells Elite Daily, "Due to a bug, some users saw a change to the way their feed appears today. We quickly fixed the issue and feed is back to normal. We apologize for any confusion."

EARLIER: The most recent Instagram update has completely altered the way users interact with the app. The update, which seems to be rolling out to users across the globe on Wednesday, Dec. 27, is similar to how the Stories feature works. My fingers are trained to scroll through the Home Feed by moving up and down. That's apparently not the case anymore. Now, users will need to swipe sideways to view posts from accounts that they follow. Although, some users are noting that Instagram is giving them option to switch back to the old scrolling method.

For posts with multiple pictures, users can swipe through each photo before moving on to the next post. This is done by swiping directly on the images. To skip to the next post without viewing multiple images, users should swipe toward the bottom of the screen.

To view your Story tray, pull down on a post. All of the Stories from people you follow will appear at the top as normal. Nothing much seems to have changed on that front, at least not at the time of publication. To view the comments on a post, swipe up. Instagram really dropped a huge change with this update. It just doesn't feel right, but everything with time. You'll still see the usual buttons to like, comment, share, save, and send a post as a Direct Message. The placement of these icons is directly under each post.

I just opened up the Instagram app on my iPhone and noticed that things are, well, a bit different than a few hours ago. Ugh. All of the apps on my phone are set to auto update. (Pro tip: I highly recommend doing this on your own mobile device so that you never miss an update from any app.) If you don't see the new feature in your Instagram app, go ahead and check to see if your app needs to be updated. It seems that this is a global rollout, but it could take some time before the updated reaches all accounts. The Independent, a British publication, notes that users across the pond have received the update, too.

As of right now, I don't love it. I'm sure that will change over time. I don't have the option to switch back right now. I didn't think there was anything wrong with swiping up and down. Yeah, this one is going to take some time for me to get used to.