Instagram's 'Your Algorithm' Feature: Customizing Reels Recommendations for 2026

Instagram's "Your Algorithm" feature allows users to customize their Reels recommendations by selecting topics they want to see more or less of, with a new 2026-specific option to highlight three priority interests for the year.

How to Access the Feature

To use "Your Algorithm," open Instagram and navigate to your Reels feed. Look for the slider icon in the upper right corner (two lines with hearts) and tap it. Alternatively, you can access it through your profile menu by tapping the menu icon, scrolling to Content Preferences, and selecting Your Algorithm.

Customization Options

The feature provides several ways to personalize your feed:

• Topics Instagram suggests: The algorithm displays topics based on your recent activity, which you can remove or keep.
• Add new interests: You can add categories beyond what Instagram initially recommends.
• See less of: A separate field lets you specify topics you want to see fewer of, though you cannot request fewer ads (attempting to add "ads" returns an error).
• 2026 priority topics: You can highlight three specific topics to guide your algorithm for the year.

How the Algorithm Works

Instagram's Reels algorithm considers multiple factors when ranking content, including how long you watch videos, whether you rewatch them, and whether you engage or share them. The algorithm also factors in which accounts you interact with most, post recency, engagement levels, and how similar content has performed with users like you.

Important Limitations

While the feature offers more control, it has notable constraints. You cannot reduce ad frequency through topic preferences. Additionally, Instagram's classification system may still misidentify content—for example, tagging a freestyle skiing clip as "snowboarding." The feature focuses on content recommendations rather than ad delivery, which remains separate from user preferences.