How to See and Reset Your Instagram Algorithm
To see your Instagram algorithm, open Your Algorithm, Instagram's topic panel that shows an AI-generated summary of the topics shaping your recommendations and lets you type topics you want more or less of.
To see your Instagram algorithm, open Your Algorithm, Instagram’s topic panel that shows an AI-generated summary of the topics shaping your recommendations and lets you type topics you want more or less of. To start over completely, go to Settings, then Content preferences, then Reset suggested content. Your Algorithm now works across Feed, Reels and Explore.
There isn’t one secret algorithm to “find”; there’s a set of recommendation systems that learn from what you do. These two tools are the official ways to see and steer them. Your wider Instagram data is covered in how to download your Instagram data. Your own activity is visible in your Instagram watch history and in the posts you liked and comments you made.
What Is “Your Algorithm” on Instagram?
Your Algorithm is a control panel that shows the topics Instagram thinks you care about and lets you change them. Instagram announced it in December 2025 for Reels, extended it to Explore, and now describes it as one unified system across Feed, Reels and Explore, so a change updates your recommendations everywhere (Instagram). Instagram lists the feature as available globally in English.
How Do You Find Your Algorithm on Instagram?
Open Reels and tap the Your Algorithm icon at the top, or look for Your Algorithm in your settings. Listed below are the 4 steps.
- Open the Reels tab.
- Tap the icon at the top right that opens Your Algorithm.
- Read the summary of your top interests.
- Type topics you want to see more or less of.
If you can’t find it, type “algorithm” into the search bar at the top of Settings.
How Do You Reset Your Instagram Algorithm?
Go to your profile, tap the menu, then Settings, Content preferences, and Reset suggested content, then confirm. It clears your recommended content across Explore, Reels and Feed, and recommendations personalise again over time from what you interact with (TechCrunch). Instagram also offers to review the accounts you follow during the reset.
| Tool | What it changes | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Your Algorithm | Specific topics, more or less | Fine-tuning |
| Reset suggested content | All recommendations, from scratch | A fresh start |
| Not interested | One kind of post | Quick corrections |
| Hidden Words | Posts and comments with words you choose | Avoiding topics |
| Clearing search history | Recent searches | Privacy and search clean-up |
Clearing searches is covered in how to clear Instagram search history and reset suggestions.
Does Resetting Affect Your Own Posts?
No, resetting changes what you see as a viewer; it doesn’t affect your followers, your posts, or how your content is shown to others. It also doesn’t delete your saved posts or likes.
How Do You Keep Your Feed From Drifting Back?
Your recommendations learn from what you watch, like, save and search, so steering them is an ongoing habit. Listed below are the 3 habits that help.
- Use Not interested on recommended posts you don’t want.
- Update topics in Your Algorithm as your interests change.
- Follow and engage with the accounts you want to see more of.
How Instagram ranks recommendations is documented in Meta’s system cards for each surface (Meta Transparency Center).
Questions people ask
Can you undo a reset of suggested content?
No, the reset can't be undone; recommendations rebuild over time.
Can other people see your algorithm?
Only if you choose to share your topic summary, which Your Algorithm lets you post to your story.
Why don't I see Your Algorithm yet?
Instagram rolls features out in stages and lists it for English; update the app and check again.
Does clearing search history reset the algorithm?
Not fully; it removes recent searches, while Reset suggested content clears recommendations.