Instagram Expands Your Algorithm Controls to Main Feed, Letting Users Adjust Recommended Topics

Instagram has expanded its Your Algorithm controls to the main feed. This follows an initial launch on Reels in October 2025 and a subsequent rollout to Explore.

The feature allows users to see which topics the recommendation system thinks they are interested in, add topics they want more of, and remove those they are less interested in.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the change in a public post.

How “Your Algorithm” Works and Where the Controls Are Available

Instagram's recommendation system has traditionally relied on content embeddings, which group similar items close together in a multi-dimensional space.

Although these embeddings can be represented as numbers, they don’t correspond to understandable categories for users. With the advent of large language models, Instagram can now translate these embeddings into descriptive topics in plain language.

This allows users to see what the system has inferred about their interests and adjust those topics directly.

To customize the main feed using Your Algorithm, users can open Instagram and access the algorithm controls through the feed settings.

There, they can review the list of topics the system has associated with their account, add topics they want to see more of, and remove those they want to see less of. Any changes made are applied to the ranking model going forward.

Your algorithm is now active across three surfaces:

• Reels since October 2025,
• Explore, and the main feed, which was added this week.

Mosseri mentioned that topics are just the starting point. Instagram is working on supporting additional inputs, including specific people, moods or vibes, and different content types.

Why Instagram Added “Your Algorithm” Controls and What Comes Next

Mosseri explained the broader reasoning behind the changes in his announcement. He noted that as recommendation algorithms have become the main way content is surfaced across the industry, who users follow has become less significant in shaping their experience.

The system learns from what users tap, watch, and share, but users haven't had a way to directly tell the system what they want.

Mosseri acknowledged that algorithmic recommendations are useful, pointing out that Instagram users share recommended content in direct messages billions of times a day.

Still, he described the lack of user input as a factor that contributes to the feeling that "the experience is happening to them rather than being shaped by them" on social platforms.

Mosseri said that future versions of the feature will allow users to customize their experience more precisely. In addition to topics, upcoming controls may include options for specific people, moods, and content formats.

He also mentioned the long-term possibility of AI creating entire personalized app experiences tailored to individual users in real time, while noting that such fully personalized experiences could impact shared cultural moments.

The expanded Your Algorithm controls for the main feed are currently being rolled out. Instagram has not provided details on regional availability or whether all users will receive the feature at the same time.