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Instagram has launched a new artificial intelligence-driven feature that gives users greater control over how content is selected and presented in their Reels feed.
Announced on Wednesday, the update allows people to see and adjust the interests the platform uses to recommend videos, marking what the company describes as a significant step towards transparency and user control.
The Meta-owned platform has introduced a function called “Your Algorithm”, which can be accessed via an icon in the top right-hand corner of the Reels section. The tool reveals the subjects Instagram believes users are drawn to, based on their viewing activity, and summarises their primary interests in one place. Users can then refine these preferences by telling the app which topics they want to see more or less of, with their recommendations updating almost instantly.
Meta said in a blog post that the feature is intended to reflect that people’s interests change over time and to give users greater control over what appears on their screens. The company positioned the tool as a way for users to shape their experience more actively while continuing to discover content that matches their evolving tastes.
The change comes amid growing calls from regulators and the public for greater transparency into how social media algorithms work. Critics have long argued that automated content systems can trap users in information bubbles or amplify damaging material. However, technology firms have also traditionally guarded their algorithms as commercially sensitive and central to user engagement.
Instagram claims it is setting a new industry standard by offering people more visibility into how recommendations are generated, adding that the feature will eventually be expanded to other parts of the app, including the Explore section.
The update has already launched in the United States, with a global English-language rollout expected shortly.
The announcement follows Australia’s decision to ban under-16s from using several social media platforms, including Instagram, in a move aimed at protecting young people from what the government described as harmful and manipulative algorithms.
