Instagram is testing new features that could give users more control over the content its algorithm recommends, as its parent company, Meta, seeks to make the platform’s recommendation system more transparent and personalized.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the company is expanding its ‘Your Algorithm’ initiative, which lets users view and adjust the interests that influence what appears in their feed. The feature, initially introduced for Reels and Explore, is now being tested for broader use across the app.
In addition to editing the topics one likes, the upcoming update also gives users other ways to influence the recommendations by allowing them to shape suggestions through influencers, content types, moods, and even interests.
In essence, a user can tell Instagram he would like to see more travel videos, fewer fitness images, or more from particular influencers. According to Instagram, these new features are supposed to take into consideration users’ changing interests, not just their past habits of watching certain videos.
It should be noted that this feature continues the company’s efforts to increase understanding of its recommendation process. Previously, users had to guess what made a particular post recommended to them; now, Instagram seeks to simplify this process.
Meta is also relying on LLMs to categorize posts by theme, allowing users to change their preferences as they wish. This would mean that the user wouldn’t have to deal with complicated algorithms but rather with categories that can be modified, deleted, or added as needed.
According to Mosseri, the main objective of developing the system was to give people the power to control their Instagram experience.
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This is indicative of a trend on social media sites to give users greater control over their recommendation systems. In light of the growing debate over algorithmically curated feeds, companies have been offering users reasons why certain material is shown to them and giving them some influence over future recommendations.
There are no details about Instagram’s global launch of this feature, but it can be assumed that user-based recommendations will play an important role in Instagram’s future.