Instagram will let users reset the recommendation system that powers their feeds
Instagram users will soon be able to manually reset the recommendation algorithm that determines what they see in their feeds.
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook parent Meta Platforms, said in a blog post Tuesday that the change was particularly designed to ensure teenagers see more appropriate content.
“We want to make sure everyone on Instagram — especially teens — has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” the company said. “We want to give teens new ways to shape their Instagram experience, so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they evolve.”
In just a few steps, Instagram said, users will be able to clear the recommended content across their Explore, Reels and Feed tabs. Once in resetting mode, users can review their entire “following” list to unfollow accounts as desired.
“Your recommendations will start to personalize again over time, showing new content based on the content and accounts you interact with,” Instagram added in the blog post.
On Monday, Meta also published a note explaining how it limits sensitive content for teens. This summer, Instagram announced it would automatically put teens into separate private accounts with increased controls and restrictions.
The changes come as Meta and Instagram in particular have been a continued target for safety advocates who say that the social media platform has been shown to have adverse effects on younger users.
Instagram users can already partially control their recommendation algorithm through a widget that allows them to market content as “interested” or “not interested.” In February, said it had stopped recommending political content altogether.
The recommendation-reset changes — only in a “testing” phase for now, but soon to be rolled out globally — replicates a function that already exists on rival TikTok.
