Instagram tests expanded Your Algorithm controls to let users tune Reels and Feed
Instagram previews expanded "Your Algorithm" controls to tune Reels and Feed content, showing pull-down, swipe-up and per-Reel buttons for personalized recommendations.
Instagram has begun showing new ways users might access the Your Algorithm controls, a move that could change how people tune the Reels and Feed recommendations they receive. The company’s head, Adam Mosseri, posted examples of in-app gestures and buttons that bring up Your Algorithm settings, saying the feature is being evolved from a hidden setting to a central part of the app. The demonstrations suggest Instagram wants to make it easier for people to tell the algorithm what topics and creators they want to see more — or less — of.
Mosseri previews more visible algorithm controls
In a recent post, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri demonstrated prototypes for more visible Your Algorithm entry points.
His examples included a pull-down gesture in the main feed that surfaces the customization menu and a swipe-up gesture from Reels that prompts personalization options.
Mosseri framed the changes as an evolution of the existing feature, noting some elements are in test while others are slated to roll out later.
He cautioned that not every change in the demo will reach all users or become permanent as Instagram experiments with different designs.
New gestures and buttons shown in the demo
The mocked-up interfaces show three distinct interaction paths to reach Your Algorithm settings.
One demo has users pulling down on their feed to reveal the menu, another invites a swipe-up from a Reel to open the same controls.
A third approach places small buttons beneath individual Reels, letting viewers quickly indicate if they want to see more content like that clip.
Together these elements are designed to reduce friction between seeing a post and telling Instagram whether that content should be amplified.
How Your Algorithm has been introduced so far
Instagram first rolled out Your Algorithm last year as a way for users to express topical preferences to the recommendation engine.
Since its launch, the company has gradually expanded the feature’s reach across the app, adding personalization options to more surfaces and experimenting with placement.
The recent demos appear to be the next phase of that effort, moving from a settings page to in-context controls aimed at immediate feedback.
This mirrors broader industry trends where platforms give users more granular control over what recommendation systems surface.
Users overwhelmingly ask for follows-first recommendations
Public reaction to Mosseri’s post highlighted a recurring user demand: many want the algorithm to prioritize accounts they already follow.
Top comments on the demo repeatedly urged Instagram to "show the people we follow" before surfacing broader recommendations.
That feedback underscores a persistent tension between discovery-driven feeds and users’ desire to maintain connections with their followed creators and friends.
If Instagram adjusts Your Algorithm to honor those requests, it will need to balance discoverability for emerging creators with clearer prioritization for followed accounts.
Personalization trade-offs and moderation considerations
Making Your Algorithm more visible raises questions about how personalization intersects with content moderation and platform policies.
Easier controls could help users steer away from harmful or unwanted topics, but they also create a patchwork of individualized experiences that complicate enforcement of community standards.
There is a potential for echo chambers if users heavily tailor what they see, which platforms will need to weigh against the benefit of giving people more agency.
Additionally, the design of feedback prompts — for example, the wording and placement of “more” or “less” buttons — can shape long-term engagement and the kinds of content that gain momentum.
Testing, timelines and what to watch next
Mosseri emphasized that some of the showcased features are already in testing while others are only planned prototypes, and he warned that certain ideas "might not work."
Instagram’s rollout approach typically involves incremental A/B tests across regions and user cohorts before a wider release, meaning the visible controls may reach users gradually.
Observers should watch for changes to default ranking behavior and any adjustments Instagram makes to how followed accounts are weighted.
Platform updates to Your Algorithm could also be accompanied by documentation explaining how user input influences recommendations and what data the controls use.
As Instagram experiments with new ways to surface Your Algorithm, the company faces both design and policy choices that will shape how personalized social media becomes. Users, creators and regulators will likely scrutinize the balance between discovery and control as the feature moves from a settings page toward something central in the app.
