Instagram Starts Testing New Algorithm Personalization Controls

Instagram has started testing a new feature that will give users more control over what they see in the app. The new algorithm personalization controls will be available first for Reels videos, and Instagram plans to expand them to the app’s Explore tab soon.

“Today we’re starting to test a way for you to tune your algorithm on Instagram by adding and removing topics based on your interests,” Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said yesterday. “We want people to have more control over their Instagram experience, and hope this will be a meaningful new way to shape what you see.”

Instagram Feed recommendations are currently based on users’ activity in the app, but it’s already possible to customize what appears in the feed. Users can signal that they’re not interested in a post and hide suggested posts with certain words. Instagram users can also go nuclear and reset their suggested content.

Mosseri said yesterday that the team is exploring how to bring similar algorithm personalization controls to Threads, its microblogging platform that recently crossed 400 million monthly active users. Unlike Instagram, Threads lets users set the chronological “Following” feed as the default, which means that it’s much easier to avoid the “For You” feed and its recommended content.