Instagram’s “Your Algorithm” Feature Explained: How to Control Your Reels Recommendations

Image credits to Instagram

Instagram has introduced a major update called “Your Algorithm”, a tool designed to give users direct control over the Reels they see. This update marks one of Instagram’s biggest shifts toward algorithm transparency, allowing users to tune their recommendations instead of relying fully on automated predictions. With competition rising from TikTok and regulatory pressure increasing worldwide, Instagram is positioning this feature as a step toward user choice, personalization, and clarity.

TLDR: Key Takeaways

• Instagram’s new Your Algorithm tool lets you see and edit the topics that shape your Reels recommendations.
• You can add, remove, or adjust interests so your feed instantly reflects what you actually want to see.
• The feature brings more transparency and control, helping you avoid irrelevant or repetitive content.
• It also impacts creators, as users now directly influence what types of content get prioritized.

What Is “Your Algorithm”?

Your Algorithm is a new control panel inside the Reels tab that shows a personalized breakdown of topics Instagram believes you are interested in. These topics are generated using Instagram’s AI based on your activity such as likes, views, shares, comments, and watch time.

For the first time, users can directly:

• See how Instagram categorizes their interests
• Add, remove, or adjust topics
• Preview Reels examples within each topic
• Share their algorithm snapshot to Stories

This transparency gives users more say in how Instagram shapes their recommendations.

How to Access the Feature

Users can find the feature through a new icon in the top right corner of the Reels tab. The icon shows two horizontal lines with small hearts. This opens a dashboard showing your interest categories along with controls to adjust them.

The dashboard offers three major functions:

1. See Your Top Interests

Instagram displays a summary of topics its AI thinks you follow. These vary from user to user and may include fitness, gaming, cooking, sports, or niche interests.

2. Tune Your Preferences

You can increase or decrease the amount of certain topics in your feed. You may also remove topics that Instagram detected incorrectly or manually add topics that AI missed.

3. Share Your Algorithm

A social feature allowing users to post their interest summary on Stories. This works similar to trends like Spotify Wrapped.

Why Instagram Introduced the Feature

Instagram acknowledges that user interests evolve, yet algorithms often lag behind. If someone starts liking different content such as travel or pets, the system may take days or weeks to catch up. With Your Algorithm, users can instantly correct or guide the system so it reflects their real interests.

Instagram leadership says the goal is to give users transparency and control, which social platforms historically lacked.

How the AI Works Behind the Scenes

Instagram’s AI evaluates patterns in user behavior to build an interest profile. When users update their preferences:

• The AI retrains recommendation patterns in real time
• Reels are adjusted almost instantly
• Suggested content aligns better with the user’s active interests

While this is a powerful system, Instagram acknowledges that no AI is perfect, so user feedback is essential to improving accuracy.

Rollout and Availability

The feature launched first for users in the United States and is expanding to English speaking regions. Additional languages and expansion to other sections such as the Explore tab and Home feed are planned.

Impact on Content Discovery

Benefits for Users

• More relevant Reels
• Fewer irrelevant or repetitive recommendations
• Greater transparency on why certain videos appear
• Ability to correct algorithm mistakes instantly

Benefits for Creators

• Niche creators may gain more visibility
• Users who specifically search topics will find more targeted content
• Higher quality engagement, since users ask for the topics they see

Challenges for Creators

• Broad, non specific content may get less reach
• Trend based visibility may decline
• Creators may need to clearly define their content topics

Since users can remove topics, creators who relied on algorithm randomness might see reduced impressions.

Privacy Considerations

Although the feature increases transparency, it does not reduce Meta’s overall data collection. Adjusting your interests provides new signals that Meta can use to refine AI models. This raises broader concerns about:

• How much data platforms collect
• How interest classifications are stored
• Whether users truly understand what happens behind the scenes

Your Algorithm improves visibility, but not the extent of data collection.

Comparison With TikTok

TikTok offers a Manage Topics option, but Instagram’s new tool goes further:

Feature	Instagram Your Algorithm	TikTok Manage Topics
Personalization	Fully personalized interest list	Generic category list
Add custom topics	Yes	No
Remove topics	Yes	Limited
Preview content	Yes	Limited
Transparency	High	Moderate

Instagram’s approach is more flexible and gives users more direct influence.

Early User Feedback

The reception so far includes:

Positive Reactions

• Appreciation for transparency
• Feeds feel more relevant
• Ability to fix algorithm confusion

Negative Reactions

• Some users feel interest detection is inaccurate
• Manual adjustment may feel like extra work
• Concerns that feeds may become too narrow

Creators also express mixed results. Some gain engagement due to niche interest matching, while others lose broad reach.

Effects on Algorithm Behavior

This update may reshape:

• How content spreads
• What goes viral
• How users explore new topics

Since user controlled feeds limit randomness, Instagram’s traditional viral pattern may shift toward interest driven discovery.

Limitations and Criticisms

Despite being a breakthrough feature, some limitations exist:

• AI is not always accurate
• Users may accidentally create echo chambers
• Feature currently affects only Reels, not the full app
• Heavy customization may reduce overall engagement
• Privacy concerns remain due to underlying data practices

Instagram aims to expand the feature to more surfaces, which may improve consistency across the platform.

How This Feature Fits Into the Social Media Landscape

Instagram is responding to:

• User frustration with opaque algorithms
• Regulatory pressures demanding transparency
• Competitive pressure from TikTok’s powerful recommendation engine
• Growing complaints about irrelevant “AI generated junk” content

Instagram is positioning itself as a platform that lets users shape their own experience, rather than being fully controlled by automated systems.

Read Sanchar Saathi App Explained: Features, Benefits, Privacy, and How It Protects Users

Conclusion

Instagram’s Your Algorithm feature is a major step toward giving users real control over their content experience. By allowing people to see and edit the topics that drive Reels recommendations, Instagram is moving toward greater transparency, flexibility, and personalization.

While privacy questions and accuracy limits remain, the feature helps bridge the gap between user expectations and algorithm behavior. For creators, the update rewards authenticity and niche specialization, while for users, it delivers a more curated, intentional, and enjoyable feed.

As Instagram rolls this feature out globally and expands it to other parts of the app, Your Algorithm is set to redefine how people interact with social platforms in 2025 and beyond.

FAQs

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

It’s a new tool inside the Reels tab that shows you the topics Instagram thinks you’re interested in. You can edit these interests to fine tune what shows up in your Reels feed.

2. How do I access the Your Algorithm tool?

Open the Reels tab and tap the small icon with two horizontal lines and hearts in the top right corner. That opens your personalized algorithm dashboard.

3. What can I adjust inside this feature?

You can see your top interests, remove topics you don’t care about, add new ones, and choose if you want more or less content from certain themes.

4. Does changing my interests immediately affect my feed?

Yes. Instagram updates your recommendations in real time, so the changes apply almost instantly.

5. Can I add interests Instagram didn’t detect?

Absolutely. There’s a search box where you can type in any topic — even niche ones — and Instagram will start shaping your feed around it.

6. Will removing topics limit the variety of content I see?

You’ll still get a mix, but the recommendations will lean more toward what you prefer. Instagram avoids making the feed too narrow, even when you customise it.

7. Does this feature impact content creators?

Yes. Creators who make niche or highly targeted content might get more visibility, while general interest creators may see changes depending on how users tune their feeds.

8. Is this different from TikTok’s personalization controls?

Very. TikTok only lets you pick from a fixed list of broad topics. Instagram generates a custom list unique to each user and lets you add your own interests.

9. Does using this feature mean Instagram collects more data?

You’re not giving extra personal data, but Instagram does learn from the interests you add or remove. It’s part of how the platform fine tunes recommendations.

10. Will Instagram bring this feature to the Explore page or Home feed?

Instagram has said they plan to expand it to other parts of the app, but there’s no confirmed rollout date yet.