I’ve had Instagram for over ten years. Through those ten years, I’ve followed, unfollowed, liked, saved, and shared more posts than I could count. It has to be in the hundreds of thousands. Through all my activity on Instagram, an algorithm of who I am and what I like, specifically sorted for me through AI, was born.
At this point, Instagram knows I’m a Taylor Swift-loving, book-reading, liberal mom from middle America who loves cooking videos and 90s nostalgia. So, what if I wanted Instagram to forget all that? What if somehow my algorithm had taken a weird turn, and I couldn’t figure out how to get it back to normal? What if every single advertisement you saw on your feed was a gross misconception of everything you were actually interested in?
What if you realized diet culture was toxic, or changed careers, or that you were in an echo chamber?
What if you’ve just changed?
In the past, you really had two options when it came to having control over your algorithm. First, you could tell Instagram you didn’t want to see these types of posts and actively seek out other types of content, or start fresh with a new account.
Now, Instagram is going to make everything so much easier for you and let you reset your algorithm.
Meta announced the changes in a blog post. The company is currently testing the ability for users to reset their “recommendations.” Once cleared, you will find posts on your Explore page, Reels tab, and your main feed that you likely wouldn’t have encountered before, and you’ll probably miss out on posts you would have seen under your previous algorithm.
Now, this isn’t to say that the concept of an algorithm is completely gone. You’re just starting anew. Once again, the app will learn your habits over time and begin showing you personalized content based on your activity and the pages you follow.
If you’re careful with your do-over, this new algorithm might turn out better than the old one.
How to reset your Instagram algorithm
Once the option rolls out to your phone, you’ll find the option in your Instagram settings. Open the app, tap your profile, then tap the hamburger menu in the top right. Scroll down and tap Content Preferences under “What you see,” then tap the new Reset suggested content option.
Before you pull the trigger, Instagram will warn you that your reset cannot be undone, and you’ll see posts you wouldn’t normally see. As an added deterrent, Instagram will suggest that you unfollow certain accounts instead of resetting your recommendations altogether.
If you’re set on the fresh start, choose Reset suggested content, then hit the option again on the pop-up. Instagram will return you to your main feed, with a subtle alert confirming your suggested content was reset.
This feature will be especially helpful to parents of teens who may have found their kid’s social media footprint has gotten away from them.
“We also offer a range of tools to help teens shape their Instagram experience, beyond recommendations,” the press release says.
“For example, teens can switch to a Following Feed to see, in chronological order, content from accounts they follow, with the most recent post first. Alternatively, they can add accounts to a Favorites list so they see content from those accounts more often and higher in their Feed, and they can see a dedicated feed of just their favorites when they want to catch up on their posts quickly.”
The release continues, “Features like Close Friends give teens more control over who sees their Stories, while the ‘Your activity’ section in settings lets teens see and manage all their previous interactions in one place, giving them more control over their digital footprint. We also encourage teens to regularly review their following lists, to make sure the accounts they’re following are still accounts whose content they enjoy seeing.”
If you’re ready for a fresh start (Who isn’t these days?), be patient! The new feature will roll out slowly.
This article was originally published on scarymommy.com.