Instagram’s new “Your Algorithm” feature lets users customize the categories of content they want to see more or less of across the app, according to Meta. Instead of relying solely on likes, follows and watch history, people can now manually adjust their interests through a dedicated settings page.
The idea is to give users a clearer understanding of how recommendations are generated, plus a more direct way to influence future suggestions.
Users can manage interest categories
Rather than resetting recommendations completely, Your Algorithm lets users review and modify the categories that shape their experience.
For example, someone can ask to see more or less content related to topics such as fitness, travel, food, gaming, fashion or photography. Those preferences then feed into Instagram’s recommendation systems for areas including Explore, Reels and suggested posts.
Meta says the feature is meant to reflect changing interests over time. It gives users a way to fine-tune recommendations without repeatedly hiding or interacting with individual posts.
Greater transparency into recommendations
Instagram has been moving in this direction for a while. In recent years, it introduced a full recommendations reset along with the option to mark posts as “Not Interested.” Users can also view explanations for why specific content appears in their feeds. Your Algorithm expands those controls by letting people manage the topics that influence recommendations before that content ever appears.
Meta says its recommendation systems will continue to consider factors such as engagement history, accounts followed and viewing activity, with category preferences serving as an additional signal.
Impact for creators
As viewers gain more control over recommendation categories, creators producing content around clearly defined topics could benefit from more targeted distribution. At the same time, users who dial down certain categories may see less from creators working in those areas.
The feature doesn’t change how creators publish. It does add another variable to content discovery on the platform.