Instagram's dreaded Following activity tab, perhaps most known for inspiring a multitude of admittedly awkward but wholly preposterous arguments about Why You Liked That Thing You Definitely Liked, is apparently being killed off.
The tab was quietly eradicated for select users starting in August, per a BuzzFeed News report on the feature that’s both a riveting and relieving read. By next week, per Instagram, the tab will be entirely phased out.
In place of the once-heartbreaking Following tab, an activity monitor will still reside, albeit one dedicated entirely to your activity and your activity only. Previously, the tab was toggleable between the activity of accounts you follow and your own personal activity.
According to Vishal Shah, the app's head of product, "simplicity was the driving factor" in nixing the Following tab. Presumably, we'd all be hard-pressed to find someone we know who is genuinely bummed out about the end of the Following tab. Good riddance to it.
Last week, Instagram unveiled a new "camera-first messaging app" called Threads. The standalone app builds off the previously released Close Friends feature and, given its standalone nature, shows Instagram is well-aware of the general public's aversion to overcomplicating the main app.
