Just over a month ago, Instagram decided to let users in the US tweak the algorithm used to display Reels. Now the Meta-owned social media platform is expanding this control far more widely.
While the expansion is a global one, it does not mean that all Instagram users around the world have been given greater control over the Reels algorithm. For now, this option is limited to the English language, and it is not quite clear when it will include other languages.
Just as when the algorithm control was launched in the US, this wider rollout has received a largely positive reception, but also a mixed one. Many people are of the mind that Instagram has not gone far enough, with one of the most frequent requests (or complaints) being that there should be a way to label or simply avoid AI-generated content on the platform.
Whether or not this happens remains to be seen, but for now it is the news of algorithmic control that is of interest. For reasons best known to himself, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri chose to make the announcement on… well, not Instagram.
Posting on Threads, Mosseri says:
We’re expanding Your Algo to all English speakers globally today. If you haven’t seen this yet, you can tune your algorithm in the Reels tab by adding and removing topics based on your interests. Since it’s the start of the year, for a limited time you can also tell your algo the top three interests you want to see more of in 2026. It’s been fun to see people play around with this so far — excited to see what everyone is into.
When Instagram gave users in the US the opportunity to enjoy more control over what they see, it was something of a risk – largely because if people are fed what they want to see, they are likely to be sated sooner, and therefore scroll less. But the gamble must have paid off, or the risk continues to seem worthwhile because the company would not have expanded the options otherwise.
If you have just gained access to this option, try it out and share your thoughts about how it works in the comments below. Does this change your Instagram experience for the better?
