Instagram is currently testing a fundamental change to user profiles by replacing the traditional ‘Following’ count with a new ‘Friends’ metric. This global experiment, confirmed by Meta representatives in late January 2026, aims to prioritize mutual connections, users who follow each other back, rather than the total number of accounts a person follows.
The shift is designed to make social connections on the platform feel more visible and meaningful amid an increasingly crowded feed dominated by creators and brands.
A spokesperson for Meta stated that friends are central to the platform experience and that the company is exploring ways to highlight these two-way relationships.
Under the current test, a user’s profile display may show a Friends count in the space typically reserved for the Following list.
This change means that if you follow 1,000 accounts but only 200 of them follow you back, your public profile might only prominently display 200 Friends.
This could significantly impact the perceived social status of users who follow a high volume of accounts without being followed in return.
The Instagram profile of our brand @sigmastory.in is showing the new ‘Friends’ metric when logged into the account, but when one of our team members checked the profile through his personal profile, it is still showing the ‘Following’ count publicly. This is currently on testing phase, so different people might see different metrics.
For aspiring creators, this test could change how audience engagement is measured. In the creator economy, metrics like the follower-to-following ratio have long been used as a shorthand for influence.
If this Friends metric becomes permanent, creators may need to focus more on building reciprocal relationships rather than just amassing a one-way audience.
Understanding the platform’s algorithm will become even more critical as the app pivots toward “connected reach,” which focuses on people you already know.
The experiment comes as Instagram Head Adam Mosseri continues to emphasize that the majority of user interaction has moved from the public feed to Direct Messages (DMs).
Over the past year, the platform has introduced several features to support this shift, including Close Friends lists and “Blend,” a shared Reels feed designed for two people.
Critics of the update have noted on social media platforms like Reddit that the change could make the app feel more like Facebook and might make it harder for users to discover new interests through someone else’s following list.
While the test is currently limited to a small global group of users, it signals a broader strategy by Meta to move Instagram away from being a purely “broadcast” platform.
By highlighting mutual friends, the company hopes to reduce the clutter of automated accounts and focus on authentic human interaction.
If the test is successful, it could roll out to all users later this year, marking one of the most significant changes to the Instagram profile interface since the app’s inception.
Current users can check their own profile to see if they are part of the test group, though there is currently no way to manually opt in or out of the experiment.
