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Instagram has expanded a feature that gives users more control over how the platform’s recommendation algorithm shapes their experience, rolling it out to all English-speaking users following initial testing phases, official sources said. The update arrives as part of Instagram’s broader strategy to address long-standing user concerns about opacity in content recommendation and amplify user choice in feed personalization.
According to the announcement, the new algorithm control option allows users to fine-tune the balance between algorithmically recommended content and posts from accounts they follow, giving individuals the ability to prioritize what they want to see first in their feeds. The controls are accessible within user settings, enabling individuals to shuffle between discovery-oriented recommendations and a more chronological or interests-centered feed experience.
The feature originated in limited trials where users could adjust sliders or toggles determining the weight of recommendation signals versus direct posts from followed accounts. Now that it has been expanded to all English-speaking users, Instagram’s interface includes clear options to emphasize “Recommended For You” content, “Following,” or other categories such as “Favorites,” allowing a more intentional interaction with the algorithm that has governed post visibility for years.
Platform representatives said the enhancement was designed to reduce one-size-fits-all feed delivery and give users practical agency over the algorithm’s influence. This move responds to persistent feedback from community and creator cohorts who have criticized automated feeds for promoting content they deem irrelevant, repetitive, or disconnected from their core interests. Industry analysts have similarly pointed out that greater transparency and control are becoming expected features in social platforms as users push back against opaque AI-driven recommendation systems.
Instagram’s algorithm control build extends previous personalization options that allowed users to mark preferred content types or restrict certain topics. The newly expanded tools give users more immediate control without resorting to workarounds such as muting, unfollowing, or engaging in manual curation to influence recommendations indirectly.
The rollout covers English-speaking regions worldwide, with additional language support planned for future phases. Instagram indicated that usage metrics from the initial test group showed increased engagement and user satisfaction when control options were exercised, suggesting that personalization, when placed in users’ hands, may improve platform experience without undermining recommendation effectiveness.
By offering algorithm adjustments directly to users, Instagram joins a broader industry trend toward giving individuals more transparent control over how content is surfaced. Competitors and regulators alike have scrutinized the impact of opaque recommendation systems on user attention, mental health, and misinformation pathways, prompting platforms to explore interface-level controls.
The enhanced algorithm settings are expected to influence how content creators and brands approach discovery and engagement, as audience behavior becomes less driven by a singular, tightly tuned feed algorithm and more by individual preference choices.
Officials confirmed that additional controls, including language and topic filtering options, are under evaluation, and further refinements will be guided by ongoing user feedback and engagement data.
