All major social media platforms utilise algorithms to recommend content to their users. These algorithms monitor various factors, including your search history, conversations, location, and more. However, there may come a time when you want to reset the recommendations in your feed. For example, you might have enjoyed recipe videos in the past but are no longer interested in them. As a result, that type of content might dominate your Reels and Explore pages. To address this issue, Instagram recently announced that it is testing a feature that allows users to reset their recommendations.
How it will work
Resetting your recommendations allows you to start anew, enabling the app’s algorithm to relearn your content preferences across the Explore page, home feed, and Reels tab. This feature is designed for users who feel that their current content suggestions are no longer aligned with their interests.
After resetting your Instagram recommendations, your content will begin to personalise once again over time, based on the posts and accounts you choose to engage with. Additionally, when you opt to reset your recommendations, you’ll have the opportunity to review your following list and unfollow accounts that provide content you no longer wish to see.
How often you can reset your recommendation
Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, shared a video explaining that this new feature is not intended for frequent use; it is specifically meant for those occasions when you desire a complete refresh.
Other Instagram features for content personalisation
This new option complements Instagram’s existing tools for curating recommendations. Users can indicate their preferences by selecting “Interested” or “Not Interested” on posts to communicate their desire for more or less specific content. There’s also the “Hidden Words” feature, which allows users to hide content containing particular words or phrases. Instagram has announced that this new feature will be rolling out globally “soon.”