Instagram rolls out AI-powered Your Algorithm to tailor Reels in real time

Instagram is rolling out an AI-powered feature called Your Algorithm that lets users actively steer the topics filling their Reels feed in real time. The company says the tool surfaces topics it believes match a user’s interests and lets people tune those signals as they watch. The rollout is currently underway in the United States, with a global English-language expansion planned in the near term.

Users access the feature by opening Reels and tapping an icon in the upper right corner that resembles two lines with hearts. A live snapshot shows the topics Instagram thinks you care about, and users can refine the feed with three core controls: first, a view of the top interests that shape what appears in Reels; second, the ability to type in topics to see more or less of; and third, an option to add topics to reduce. The tool also includes a Share to Story option so users can show friends which topics are steering their feed. Instagram describes this as the first phase of broader changes intended to give people more direct control over what they see.

After selecting the Your Algorithm icon, the interface presents a compact, topic-based view. At the top, users are shown a list of subjects the platform believes align with their interests, providing a quick snapshot of what’s driving the Reels feed. Tapping into Tune your preferences allows users to enter specific topics they want to amplify or dampen. If a user decides a topic should appear less often, they can Add the topic and request a reduction in their feed. The third option, Share your algorithm, creates a Story preview that can be posted or limited to Close Friends, inviting others to see how the feed is being shaped. This combination of visibility and adjustment is designed to make the algorithm’s behavior more transparent and responsive to real-time changes in user interests.

The company says this is just the beginning. Instagram plans to bring the same level of control to other surfaces within the app, including the Explore tab, in future updates. In effect, the feature is meant to shift some of the feed’s inertia away from a slowly evolving profile of interests toward a more dynamic reflection of what a user cares about today. By offering a clearer view of the topics behind recommendations—and a straightforward method to adjust them—Instagram aims to reduce the sense that the Reels feed is a moving, opaque target.

From a product perspective, the Your Algorithm tool represents a notable step for Instagram in balancing automated curation with user agency. For many users, feeds can feel crowded with videos that no longer reflect their evolving tastes. The new controls promise to make the Reels experience feel more intentional, potentially helping users discover creators who match their current interests. If the rollout expands as described, the feature could alter how people interact with Reels in the coming months, and it may set a precedent for similar controls on other parts of the app.

As the feature expands to additional regions and surfaces, analysts will watch to see how user engagement changes when audiences can actively steer what they see. While the latest iteration centers on Reels, the broader push toward programmable feeds could influence how short-form video platforms balance automation with explicit user input. The rollout timing remains fluid, with Instagram indicating a staged approach for English-language audiences worldwide after the United States launch.

The development underscores how social platforms continue to experiment with user controls to address concerns about algorithmic curation while also supporting increased engagement. If successful, Your Algorithm could become a template for giving people more precise influence over the topics that shape their feeds, potentially reducing the amount of time marketers and creators spend chasing algorithmic signals and increasing the value of content that matches a user’s immediate preferences.

In the longer term, Instagram will monitor how the feature performs across demographics and regions, and whether the added transparency affects user trust and time spent in the app. The company has framed Your Algorithm as a live, adaptive experience rather than a fixed set of rules, signaling that the platform sees value in ongoing adjustments aligned with user behavior.

With the rollout still unfolding, users in the United States are among the first to test the feature in real-world conditions. If the English-language global rollout proceeds as planned, the tool could soon be accessible to a broader audience, offering a practical example of AI-assisted personalization in social media and marking another step in the industry’s ongoing effort to give users more command over their online experience.