Tech News

Instagram Introduces ‘Your Algorithm’ AI Tool to Give Users More Control Over Reels Recommendations

Highlights

Instagram’s “Your Algorithm” feature lets users personalise Reels recommendations by viewing and adjusting their top interests.
Users can check AI‑generated interest summaries, fine‑tune topics they want more or less of and share their personalised algorithm via Stories.
The feature is launching in the US now with a global English rollout in the coming weeks.

(Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash)

Instagram has announced a new AI-powered feature called “Your Algorithm,” designed to give users deeper control over the content that appears in their feeds. According to the company, this update uses artificial intelligence to better understand and adapt to users’ changing interests. It ensures more personalised and relevant recommendations.

“Instagram has always been a place to dive deep into your interests and connect with friends. As your interests evolve over time, we want to give you more meaningful ways to control what you see on Instagram, starting with Reels. Using AI, you can now more easily view and personalise the topics that shape your Reels, making recommendations feel even more tailored to you,” the company said in an announcement blog post.

Instagram introduces new Your Algorithm feature. (Image credit – Instagram)

How the New Reels Algorithm Control Work?

The “Your Algorithm” feature can be accessed directly from the Reels screen. While watching a Reel, users can tap the new icon, represented by two lines with hearts and located in the upper right corner. This opens the “Your Algorithm” menu, where several customisation tools are available.

According to the Instagram blog post, the feature includes three main functions –

See Your Top Interests – Users can check a summary of topics Instagram believes are most relevant to them based on their activity.
Tune Preferences – Users can manually type in specific topics they want to see more or less of, allowing the Reels algorithm to adjust recommendations instantly.
Share ‘Your Algorithm’ – Instagram also lets users share their list of interests via Stories, giving followers a peek into the type of content they enjoy.

The Wired, however, reports that Meta isn’t letting go of AI altogether. The Wired report notes, “When a user opens the new “Your Algorithm” tab on Instagram, they’ll see a brief summary of what they’ve “been into” while scrolling through Reels. The topics displayed are based on recent user activity, and the summaries are made using generative AI. Meta’s examples of topics that users could add with the new feature include “Horror movies,” “Chess,” and “College football.”

Availability and Future Expansion

“Your Algorithm” is now rolling out to users in the United States and will expand globally in English in the coming weeks. Instagram also confirmed plans to extend this algorithm-control capability to other sections of the app including the Explore tab and additional surfaces. It will be offering even more ways for users to tailor their experience.

FAQs

Q1. What is Instagram’s “Your Algorithm” feature?

Answer. It’s an AI-powered tool that lets users personalise Reels recommendations by viewing, adjusting, and sharing their top interests.

Q2. How can users access and use Instagram’s “Your Algorithm”?

Answer. While watching a Reel, users can tap the new icon (two lines with hearts) in the upper right corner to open the “Your Algorithm” menu, where they can see interests, tune preferences, or share them via Stories.

Q3. Where is the Instagram Your Algorithm feature available and what’s next?

Answer. “Your Algorithm” is rolling out in the US now, expanding globally in English in the coming weeks with plans to extend beyond Reels to Explore and other app sections.