Instagram is introducing a feature that allows users to view and adjust the topics shaping their Reels recommendations. The tool, called “Your Algorithm,” displays a list of topics Instagram’s AI determines users care about based on their activity. Users can then select which topics they want to see more or less of in their Reels feed.

How the Feature Works

Users can access the tool by tapping an icon displaying two lines with hearts in the upper right corner while watching Reels.

“We use AI to summarize your interests based on your activity,” Tessa Lyons, Vice President of Product at Instagram, said in an interview with ABC News. “And if we get it wrong, you can remove those interests from your algorithm.”

Below the summary, users see a detailed list of topics. They can adjust preferences for existing topics or add new interests not currently listed. Users can also share their interest summary to their Instagram Story.

“Being able to tell us that directly so that we can take action in real time, I think, will improve their Instagram experience,” Lyons added. “This is one way for you to give us feedback on what you’re seeing on Reels that can influence the Reels you’re seeing going forward.”

According to TechCrunch, the feature follows similar tools from competitors. TikTok rolled out its “Manage Topics” feature last year, allowing users to control content in their For You feed. Instagram’s implementation differs by offering personalized topic lists rather than generic categories and allowing users to add custom topics.

The tool launched in the United States and will roll out globally in English next.

Instagram now reaches 50% of U.S. adults, according to research from Pew Research Center. The platform joins YouTube and Facebook as the only social media platforms to achieve majority adoption among Americans.

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