Instagram’s ‘Your Algorithm’ Update Lets Users Finally Control What They See on Reels

Instagram has introduced one of its most significant personalisation features yet: a powerful new tool called “Your Algorithm,” designed to give users direct control over the topics shaping their Reels recommendations. For years, people have complained about being stuck with repetitive videos and unclear algorithmic decisions. 

Now, Instagram is opening its recommendation system to users, letting them see exactly what the platform thinks they are interested in — and allowing them to adjust it instantly. Launching first in the United States, and rolling out globally in English soon, this feature marks a major step toward transparency, customisation, and user agency on Instagram.

Key Takeaways: Instagram’s ‘Your Algorithm’ Personalisation Feature

• Gives full visibility into AI-inferred interests that shape Reels recommendations.
  
• Allows users to increase, decrease, or add topics to fine-tune what appears in their feed.
  
• Shows a personalised summary of recent interests generated through activity-based AI analysis.
  
• Lets users share their algorithm snapshot to Stories, similar to Spotify Wrapped.
  
• Expands beyond Reels soon, with plans to roll out to Explore and other surfaces.
  
• Launch begins in the U.S., with a wider English rollout in the coming weeks.
  
• Competes directly with TikTok’s Manage Topics, but with more personalised controls.
  
• Represents a shift toward algorithmic transparency, long demanded by users.
  

Instagram Opens the Black Box: A New Era of Personalised Reels

Instagram’s Reels feed has become the centre of short-form video viewing for over a billion users, yet the way it determines what people see has always felt like a mystery. Many have expressed frustration over being shown repetitive content or videos irrelevant to their interests. With ‘Your Algorithm,’ Instagram is finally addressing these concerns by giving users a clear window into how recommendations are formed — and the tools to reshape them.

This feature represents one of Meta’s biggest moves toward transparency, offering a rare glimpse into a platform’s AI-driven personalisation engine.

How the ‘Your Algorithm’ Tool Works

When watching a Reel, users will now notice a small icon in the top-right corner of the screen. The symbol — two horizontal lines paired with hearts — is the entry point to the new customisation panel.

Tapping the icon opens a personalised dashboard that displays:

• A short AI-generated summary of what Instagram believes you’ve “been into” lately
  
• A detailed list of specific topics influencing your recommendations
  
• Tools to adjust how much of each topic you want to see
  
• An option to type in new topics that may not appear automatically
  

For example, a user might see a summary like: “Lately you’ve been into creativity, sports hype, fitness motivation, and skateboarding.” This description is entirely based on their recent actions — watched videos, liked posts, shares, or what they skipped.

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If something is missing, users can manually add topics such as “Horror movies,” “Chess,” or “College football,” allowing the AI to instantly adjust the feed around those preferences.

Instant Algorithm Adjustments for a More Relevant Reels Experience

Instagram emphasises that changes made through ‘Your Algorithm’ take effect immediately. Sliding a topic upward means seeing more of it; sliding it downward results in fewer related videos. This creates a dynamic, responsive feed that evolves along with the user’s changing interests.

The tool is not only about consumption — Instagram also allows users to share their personalised interest summary as a Story, giving friends a peek into what has been shaping their Reels feed. This works similarly to the social sharing culture around Spotify Wrapped.

A Step Toward Algorithmic Transparency

Social media platforms have long been criticised for their opaque recommendation systems. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and others rely heavily on algorithms to determine what appears in feeds, but seldom offer meaningful control to users.

With ‘Your Algorithm,’ Instagram sets a precedent. For the first time, users get direct control over the parameters influencing their feed.

Analysts note that this move brings Instagram far ahead of TikTok’s “Manage Topics,” which offers only about a dozen generic categories. In contrast, Instagram provides highly personalised, AI-inferred topics, plus the ability to add entirely new interests.

This transparency helps reduce the feeling of being trapped in an algorithmic loop — a complaint voiced widely by users in recent years.

Global Rollout and Future Expansion Across Instagram

The feature is already available to users in the United States, with a broader rollout for English-speaking regions planned in the coming weeks. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed that the tool will support additional languages soon.

Instagram considers this just the first step. The company plans to expand ‘Your Algorithm’ beyond the Reels tab and integrate it into:

• Explore
  
• Home feed
  
• Other discovery surfaces across the app
  

This expansion will eventually give people unified control over content recommendations across Instagram’s entire platform.

Competition, AI Race, and User Demand for Control

The release comes at a time when Instagram is competing fiercely with TikTok for younger audiences. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center study, 80 percent of U.S. adults under 30 use Instagram, compared to 63 percent on TikTok — a gap Meta is determined to widen by improving personalisation features.

Meanwhile, other platforms are also turning to AI for deeper recommendation customisation:

• X (formerly Twitter) now uses Grok AI to rank posts.
  
• YouTube has begun testing “Your Custom Feed,” allowing more control over Home recommendations.
  

Instagram’s move reflects a broader industry shift toward user agency in algorithm-driven environments.

What This Means for Users and Creators Going Forward

The introduction of ‘Your Algorithm’ marks a turning point for how people interact with social media feeds. Users will spend less time wading through irrelevant Reels and more time engaging with content that genuinely interests them. This can dramatically improve satisfaction and reduce algorithm fatigue.

Creators and brands will also take note. As audiences gain more control over the topics shaping their feeds, publishers may adjust their strategies to better align with how users categorise and fine-tune their interests.

Instagram’s push for transparency, combined with AI-powered personalisation, signals a growing recognition of user demands: control, clarity, and relevance.

A New Personalised Instagram Experience Begins

Instagram’s ‘Your Algorithm’ offers something users have been requesting for years — meaningful control over what appears in their feeds. By revealing AI-inferred interests and letting people fine-tune recommendations in real time, the platform is shifting toward a more transparent and user-centric approach. 

As the tool expands beyond Reels to other surfaces, Instagram is poised to reshape how people interact with recommended content, giving them the power to shape their digital environment in ways that feel personal, relevant, and genuinely reflective of their interests.

FAQs on Instagram’s ‘Your Algorithm’ Feature