Instagram’s upcoming update will allow users to personalise what appears in their feed – Know more

In a move that empowers users to reclaim some control over what they see in their feeds, Instagram is beginning to test a new feature that lets you manually fine-tune the app’s recommendation algorithm.

Currently announced only for the Reels section (with plans to extend the capability to the Explore tab), the feature allows users to add or remove topics from their feed algorithm. In doing so, you can emphasise or suppress certain types of content – for example, opting to see more travel and tech videos, or reducing lifestyle-content that doesn’t interest you.

Why this matters?

For years, Instagram’s algorithm has largely worked behind the scenes, making educated guesses about what each user wants to see based on engagement, viewing history and inferred interests. Here’s the simpler way to put that:

Why the Change?

In the past, Instagram tried to show everyone the “best” stuff. While this sometimes showed you things you liked, many people felt lost or saw too much stuff they didn’t care about.

Now, Instagram realizes that one way of showing content doesn’t work for everyone. This new update gives you more power to choose what you see, instead of just passively looking at what the app shows you. Instagram itself has, over the past year, introduced features to limit sensitive content, hide suggestions, and refine parental controls.

How it works & what to expect

According to a post from Instagram head Adam Mosseri on the companion app Threads, the algorithm-tuning tool will appear initially for a limited set of users under test. He explained: “Today we’re starting to test a way for you to tune your algorithm on Instagram by adding and removing topics based on your interests.”

While early screenshots show a straightforward interface where you select topics you want more of, or fewer of, the feature’s rollout timeline remains unclear – neither the total user-base nor the global availability have been specified. Importantly, the tool starts with Reels, the fast-moving, algorithm-heavy video feed, but Instagram plans to bring it to Explore “soon.”

The implications

For content creators, this change could shift dynamics between “algorithm trust” and “viewer intent.” If users begin specifying very narrow preferences, creators might find their reach shifting accordingly – underscoring the importance of aligning content with audience-selected interests rather than hoping to ride broad algorithm-driven waves. For users, this is a welcome step toward a more personalised, user-centred experience, rather than being subject to unseen ranking decisions.
If Instagram executes this well, it could set a precedent in how social feeds handle user choice – turning the formerly hidden “black box” of recommendation into something you can actively steer.

This latest move from Instagram thus offers both hope and challenge: a more empowered feed for users, and a changed landscape for creators. It will be worth watching how broadly the feature rolls out, how users adopt it, and what shifts we see in how social content is discovered.