Instagram Just Let You Customize Your Own Algorithm

Instagram now lets people tell its recommendation systems which topics they want to see more or less often. The control is called Your Algorithm, and what began as a Reels feature has expanded to Explore and the main Feed during 2026.

You still cannot switch Instagram’s ranking systems off or choose every post that appears. You can now see how Instagram describes your interests, correct topics it misunderstood, and add subjects you want the app to prioritize.

That gives users more control over recommendations. It also gives creators a clear warning: a consistent topic is becoming easier for Instagram to categorize, and easier for interested users to request.

What the Feature Does

Your Algorithm turns some of Instagram’s hidden interest predictions into editable topics.

Instagram already studies what you watch, replay, like, share, save, hide, and skip. It uses that activity to infer that you may be interested in subjects such as trail running, street photography, home organization, or football analysis.

The new control shows a plain-language summary of those inferred interests. You can then:

• Add a topic you want to see more often
• Mark a topic you want to see less often
• Remove an interest that no longer fits
• Review the AI-generated summary of your recent activity
• Share your interest summary to Stories

The original public rollout started in the United States in December 2025 and focused on Reels. Instagram later expanded the feature globally in English, brought topic controls to Explore in April 2026, and began extending them to the main Feed in June.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has said the company wants Your Algorithm to feel central to the app rather than buried in settings. Instagram has tested faster access points, including controls below individual Reels and gestures that surface the topic menu. Not every test becomes a permanent feature, so the exact button you see may differ from screenshots in older articles.

For a complete explanation of the systems these preferences influence, see GrowthViral’s guide to how the Instagram algorithm works.

Where to Find It

The most consistent access point is inside Reels:

1. Open Instagram and tap the Reels tab.
2. Look in the top-right corner for an icon that resembles two horizontal sliders with hearts.
3. Tap the icon to open Your Algorithm.
4. Review the summary and topic list Instagram generated for you.
5. Select topics to see more or less of them, or search for a new topic to add.

In Explore, some accounts see topic controls or topic pills at the top of the page. Others can reach the same preference system through the Your Algorithm icon.

The main Feed rollout is newer and the entry point has changed during testing. If you do not see it there, use the Reels entry point first. The preference system is connected, so changes can influence recommendations across more than one surface as the rollout reaches your account.

If the icon is missing:

• Update the Instagram app.
• Confirm that the app language is set to English, since language availability has rolled out in stages.
• Close and reopen the app.
• Check from both Reels and Explore.
• Wait for the account-level rollout rather than reinstalling repeatedly.

Your Algorithm is not the same as Reset suggested content. A reset clears recommendation history and lets Instagram rebuild it from future behavior. Your Algorithm edits particular topic preferences without wiping the entire recommendation profile.

How to Set Your Top 3 Interests

Instagram used a limited-time prompt at the start of 2026 that asked people to name the top three interests they wanted to see more of during the year.

If that prompt still appears on your account:

1. Open Your Algorithm from the Reels tab.
2. Tap the card asking for your top interests.
3. Search for the first topic and select it.
4. Repeat until you have chosen three.
5. Review the choices and confirm them.

Choose specific topics rather than broad categories. “Strength training for runners” gives the system a clearer direction than “fitness.” “Small-space interior design” is more useful than “homes.”

The top-three prompt was introduced as a temporary feature, so many users will no longer see it. That does not mean Your Algorithm has disappeared. Use the regular See more or Add interest controls to add the same subjects to your ongoing list.

Do not add a topic merely because you publish about it. Your Algorithm primarily shapes what you consume. A social media manager who adds every client niche may make their personal Reels and Explore feeds less useful. If you use Instagram for research, choose the areas you actively need to monitor.

What Changes in Your Feed and Explore

Adding an interest is a strong preference signal, not a subscription.

Instagram may show more recommendations that its systems associate with the topic. Removing or reducing a subject tells the system to lower its presence. Neither action guarantees that every related post appears or that unwanted posts vanish immediately.

Ranking still considers other signals, including:

• Your recent watch and engagement behavior
• Your relationship with an account
• How other users respond to a post
• The post’s format, topic, and freshness
• Content and account recommendation eligibility
• Safety and sensitive-content controls

Your actions after changing the settings still matter. If you add “home cooking” but skip every cooking Reel within one second, Instagram receives conflicting information. If you save recipes, follow cooks, and watch demonstrations to the end, the preference becomes reinforced.

Explore also remains a discovery product. It will not turn into a narrow feed containing only the topics you selected. Instagram needs room to test adjacent interests and new creators, which means occasional irrelevant recommendations are normal.

If you want a cleaner Explore page, combine Your Algorithm with direct feedback:

• Tap Not interested on irrelevant posts.
• Avoid hate-watching content you do not want more of.
• Save and share genuinely useful posts in your preferred topics.
• Unfollow accounts you no longer want shaping your Feed.
• Use Following when you want a more direct view of accounts you chose.

GrowthViral’s guide to the Instagram Explore page covers how the discovery surface ranks individual posts.

Does This Affect What You Post, Too?

Changing Your Algorithm does not directly tell Instagram to distribute your own posts to a particular audience. Adding “skin care” to your preferences does not make your skin care Reel rank higher.

The creator impact is indirect but meaningful.

First, people can now declare interest in a subject rather than waiting for Instagram to infer it. That may give the platform a cleaner signal when matching relevant content to those users.

Second, Instagram needs to understand what your content is about before it can make that match. Clear topic signals matter:

• Use a recognizable subject in the opening frames.
• Say the topic in the voiceover.
• Put accurate keywords in the on-screen text and caption.
• Keep each post focused on one main promise.
• Build repeatable series within a defined niche.
• Avoid stuffing unrelated keywords into captions.

Third, consistency becomes more valuable. If one account alternates among meal preparation, cryptocurrency news, celebrity clips, and dog memes, users and ranking systems receive a muddy promise. A creator can have several content pillars, but they should make sense for the same audience.

This does not mean every post must look identical. It means the person who enjoyed one post should have a reasonable chance of wanting the next one.

Creators should also avoid telling followers to manipulate their settings solely to boost reach. A natural prompt can work when it serves the audience, such as showing people where to add a topic they genuinely want. Repetitive “add my niche to your algorithm” demands will feel like engagement bait and may damage trust.

FAQs

Can I completely control my Instagram algorithm?

No. Your Algorithm lets you adjust topic preferences, but Instagram still ranks posts using behavior, relationships, post performance, safety rules, and other signals. Think of it as steering, not programming.

Does Your Algorithm work on Reels, Explore, and Feed?

It launched on Reels, expanded to Explore in April 2026, and began expanding to the main Feed in June. Availability and access points can vary by account, app version, language, and region.

Why can I not find the top-three interests prompt?

Instagram described that prompt as a limited-time option for the start of 2026. Use the regular topic controls to add interests if the three-choice card no longer appears.

Can creators see the interests I added?

Not by default. You can choose to share an algorithm summary to your Story. Instagram also provides parents with limited topic information for supervised teen accounts, subject to its Family Center controls.

Is this the same as resetting suggested content?

No. Reset suggested content clears the recommendation history used across suggested posts, Explore, and Reels. Your Algorithm lets you edit individual topics without starting from zero.

Will adding my niche increase my own reach?

Not directly. The settings shape what you see. Your content still has to be clearly categorized, eligible for recommendations, and strong enough to earn watch time, shares, or other relevant responses.

Disclosure: We use AI tools to help create and enhance some of our content. Every piece is reviewed, edited, and improved by a human to ensure it meets our standards for quality, clarity, and usefulness.

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at GrowthViral lives and breathes organic Instagram growth. Testing, optimizing, and helping creators, brands, and businesses grow real audiences, boost engagement, and turn their accounts into revenue-driving assets. Fighting the good fight against fake followers and engagement, the GrowthViral team tries to be a guiding light and a true champion of lasting Instagram growth that makes a difference for all involved.