Instagram gives you more control over your Reels algorithm

Instagram is launching a new AI-powered feature for fine-tuning which videos appear in your Reels tab. The “Your Algorithm” update allows you to see which topics Instagram already thinks you’re interested in based on your previous activity, and then remove some, or add new topics, to better direct what kind of videos you actually want to see.

“As your interests evolve over time, we want to give you more meaningful ways to control what you see on Instagram, starting with Reels,” Instagram said in its announcement. “Using AI, you can now more easily view and personalize the topics that shape your Reels, making recommendations feel even more tailored to you.”

The feature is available in the US starting today, and rolling out globally in English “soon.” Instagram users can access it by selecting the icon that resembles two hearts on line sliders that appears at the top-right corner of Reels videos. From there, users can see the AI-generated summary of topics they’re being recommended, tune their preferences, and share the list of those interests on their Instagram Story.

Instagram says it’s planning to bring adjustable algorithms to the Explore tab and “more places in the app soon.” A similar feature is in development for Meta’s Threads app, which will allow users to tell the algorithm to show them more or less of specific content by tagging posts with “dear algo.” Meta says it’s also adding the ability to give feedback on why something in your Reels and Facebook feed isn’t relevant to you, and will “introduce new ways for you to shape your Feed and provide your algorithm feedback in the coming months.”