How to Reset Instagram Algorithm

No more random content!

You grab your phone first thing in the morning, open Instagram, expecting to see your usual posts. But instead of posts you love, it’s filled with random content you barely care about. Cosmetics, travel photos, or, even worse, endless pictures of carpets for sale. Carpets? You start wondering if your account’s been hacked. But that’s just Instagram’s algorithm deciding it knows what you want… and getting it hilariously wrong.

Instagram’s algorithm works hard to show you what it thinks you like. Maybe you lingered on a video or accidentally liked a post, and now the app assumes you’re obsessed. Before you know it, your feed is overrun with posts you’d rather not see.

In the past, fixing this was a pain. You could either tell Instagram to stop showing certain posts and hunt for content you actually liked, or you could hit the nuclear option and start a new account altogether, careful not to anger the algorithm again. But now? Instagram has introduced a way to reset the algorithm entirely.

Algorithms are the backbone of social media. They decide what pops up on your feed, trying to keep you scrolling. The posts should feel like they’re made for you. But when the algorithm gets it wrong, it can turn Instagram into a frustrating mess. That’s why learning how to reset it can save the day, and we’ll show you how.

Why is Instagram Rolling Out This Change?

It is simply to give you more control. According to Meta, they want the platform to feel like a place where you can have “safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences.” In other words, your feed should actually reflect what you care about, not just what the algorithm thinks you do.

Meta seems to have teens in mind with this move. Over the years, the company has faced growing criticism, especially about how it protects its younger users. To address this, it’s already made some big changes, like setting teen accounts to private by default and limiting exposure to harmful or sensitive content. This reset option feels like another step in the same direction: letting people (especially teens) take back some control when the algorithm messes up.

Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, even shared a video about the new feature. He was pretty straightforward, saying this isn’t something you’ll want to use often. “It’s a big deal,” he said, explaining that resetting your feed means starting fresh. Instagram will treat you like a blank slate, with no idea what you like. So, it might feel a little dull at first while it relearns your preferences.

But Mosseri made it clear that if you’re stuck in a feed full of things you don’t care about, this feature gives you an out. And that sounds pretty refreshing, not going to lie.

By the way, TikTok introduced a similar option last year for its “For You” feed. So, it looks like platforms are realizing people need more ways to hit reset when the algorithms go off the rails.

How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work in 2025?

Instagram has a few different algorithms working on different parts of the app. For example, the algorithm for your feed is different from the one for stories or Reels. Each one looks at different things, or “signals,” to decide what to show you.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Feed Algorithm: It checks what you like, comment on, or save. It also looks at the post’s engagement (is it getting a lot of love?) and who posted it.
  • Stories Algorithm: This one shows you stories from accounts you interact with the most. It looks at who you’ve DMed or reacted to the most.
Instagram
What’s really changing? Source: CedCommerce
  • Explore Algorithm: If you’re looking for new content, this algorithm shows you posts from accounts you don’t follow yet. It checks your past activity to predict what you might like.
  • Reels Algorithm: It works similarly to the feed one, checking your interactions with Reels and who posted them.

Feed Algorithm

Remember the good old days when your Instagram feed was a simple list of posts from your friends, in the order they posted them? That’s no longer the case. Now, you get a blend of posts from people you follow, Reels, and suggestions that Instagram thinks you’ll like. But how does the app decide what actually shows up in your feed?

  • Your activity: If you’ve liked or commented on a lot of posts about food or dogs, you’ll see more of that kind of content
  • How popular a post is: If a post’s getting a lot of likes and comments, it’s more likely to pop up on your feed
  • Who posted it: Instagram will show you posts from people who are similar to the ones you already follow
  • Your past interactions: If you always like a friend’s posts, you’ll see more of theirs

Reels Algorithm

Reels are huge on Instagram, and the algorithm behind them is pretty similar to how the feed works. It shows what you’ve engaged with before.

  • Your activity: If you’ve watched, liked, or shared a lot of Reels on a certain topic, expect to see more of it
  • How popular the Reel is: If a Reel’s going viral, Instagram’s going to push it more
  • Who posted it: If you interact with a creator often, their Reels are more likely to show up for you

Story Algorithm

Stories are a little different. You only see stories from accounts you follow (unless someone shares a post to their Story, of course). But there are still signals Instagram uses to decide which stories pop up first:

  • What you’ve watched: If you watch someone’s stories a lot, their next one will probably be at the top of your feed
Instagram
Get your Stories seen! Source: BeFunky
  • Engagement: If you’ve liked or reacted to someone’s stories, Instagram’s going to show you more of theirs
  • How close you are: If you engage with someone a lot, like a best friend, their stories will always be near the top

Explore Page Algorithm

The Explore page is where you discover new content from people you don’t follow. The algorithm behind it is all about finding content that matches your interests.

  • Post popularity: If a post is getting a lot of attention, it might show up on your Explore page
  • Your activity: If you’ve liked or interacted with posts similar to the ones on Explore, Instagram’s going to show you more of that
  • Who posted it: If someone’s getting a lot of engagement recently, their posts might show up on Explore

That’s the gist of how Instagram’s algorithm works. But if it gets it wrong, you can always tweak your activity to steer it in the right direction. And now, we are going to explore the new reset feature.

How to Use Instagram’s New Reset Feature

Instagram’s new reset feature gives users a way to start fresh with content recommendations. It’s designed to help if your feed feels cluttered with irrelevant posts or if you want more control over what shows up. Here’s everything you need to know about how it works and how to use it:

What Is the Reset Feature?

The reset feature is Instagram’s way of letting you wipe the slate clean for your content suggestions. When you reset, Instagram stops relying on your past activity (likes, follows, shares) to decide what to show you. It applies to your main feed, Reels, and Explore page.

How to Reset Your Recommendations

  1. Access the Settings: Open the Instagram app and go to your profile by tapping your avatar. Tap the menu in the top right corner and select Suggested Content.
  2. Choose Reset Option: You’ll see an option labeled Reset Suggested Content. Tap it, and confirm when prompted. This tells Instagram to forget your previous preferences and start fresh.
reset feature
Fresh start for your feed. Source: The Preview App

Keep in mind, resetting doesn’t turn off suggestions entirely. Instead, it starts recalibrating your preferences based on your new interactions.

Fine-Tune Your Content After Resetting

Once you’ve reset, there are steps you can take to guide Instagram’s algorithm in the right direction:

  • Mark Content as “Interested” or “Not Interested”: Tap the three dots next to a post and choose what aligns with your preferences. This feedback helps Instagram learn what you like.
  • Update Ad Preferences: You can control the type of ads you see. Tap the three dots next to an ad, then choose Why am I seeing this ad? Here, you can tweak your ad topics to see fewer promotions in categories you don’t care about.

Manage Sensitive or Political Content

Instagram also allows you to adjust how much sensitive or political content you see. From the same settings menu, you can set limits or block specific keywords and phrases to make your feed feel more close to your interests.

Temporary Fixes: Hide or Mute Content

If you’re not ready to reset, you can still change your feed manually:

  • Hide Suggested Posts: Use the toggle to hide suggested posts for 30 days.
  • Mute Accounts: Silence content from certain users without unfollowing them. This won’t impact your relationship with the account but helps clean up your feed.

Can’t Find the Instagram Reset Algorithm Button?

If that reset button isn’t showing up for you, you’re not the only one. Instagram is still testing this feature, so it hasn’t rolled out to every account just yet.

Step 1: First things first, make sure your Instagram app is up to date. Head to your app store, and if there’s an update available, hit that download button. Sometimes new features only show up if you’re on the latest version.

Step 2: If your app is all up to date but the reset option is still MIA, it’s probably just a waiting period. Instagram tends to roll out new features gradually, so it should land in your account soon. Keep an eye out!

Take Control of Your Feed

Now that you know how to reset Instagram’s algorithm and make it work for you, don’t let your feed run wild again. Guide the algorithm with your preferences, and enjoy content that you actually like.

Go ahead, hit that reset button! Want to share your Instagram feed transformation? Drop your experience in the comments below or share it with your friends!

Stay tuned for more tips and updates, and head over to Inside Tech World today!

FAQs 

Will resetting the Instagram algorithm delete my posts?

No, resetting the algorithm won’t affect your posts. It only resets the content suggestions Instagram makes for you, like in your feed, Explore page, and Reels.

Can I undo the reset if I change my mind?

Currently, there’s no option to undo the reset, but you can influence what you see by interacting with posts you like after the reset.

Does resetting the algorithm impact my followers?

No, resetting the algorithm doesn’t affect your followers or how they see your content. It only adjusts your content recommendations.

How often should I reset my Instagram algorithm?

You don’t need to reset it often. It’s ideal for when your feed is filled with content you don’t care about, or if you want a fresh start with recommendations.

Will resetting the algorithm stop Instagram from showing ads?

No, resetting the algorithm doesn’t stop ads. However, you can manage your ad preferences separately from the content reset to control what you see.


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