Fitness and Health
How to Reset Your Instagram Feed With "Your Algorithm" (2026 Guide)
Can you actually change what Instagram shows you? Yes. Instagram's Your Algorithm tool lets you see the topics shaping your recommendations and choose more or less of them. According to an October 2026 report from tech site GCN, the controls now cover Reels, Explore and the main feed, and changes apply across all three at once. [1] If your feed is full of things that make you feel bad, this is the fastest fix.
Short answer
- What it is: a list of topics Instagram thinks you like, which you can edit.
- Where it works: Reels, Explore and the main feed. [1]
- What to do: remove topics you do not want, add ones you do.
- Plus: use "Not interested," mute and unfollow.
- For creators: clear topics help the right people find you.
What Your Algorithm does
GCN reported on October 6, 2026 that: [1]
- The tool shows an AI made summary of the topics influencing your recommendations.
- You can pick topics to see more or less of.
- Changes apply across Feed, Reels and Explore together.
- It launched for Reels in December 2025, expanded to Explore in April 2026, and reached the main feed by June 2026. [1]
- Instagram head Adam Mosseri previewed new ways to open it, like pulling down on the feed or swiping up on a Reel, and said some of this is testing and some "might not work." [1]
- The top request from users is still simple: show more from accounts they follow.
- The topic list is personal, based on each person's recent activity, unlike broader category pickers on some rival apps. [1]
GCN is a small outlet that cited TechCrunch and The Next Web, so check the exact steps in your own app, since tests roll out unevenly.
How to reset your feed (original)
- Open Your Algorithm. Look in Settings, or try the new gestures if you have them.
- Read the topic list. Does it match who you want to be, not just what you doom scroll?
- Remove topics that drain you, like extreme diets, cosmetic surgery or ex related content.
- Add topics you want more of, like strength training, recipes, travel or your hobby.
- Give it a week. Recommendations shift as you watch new things.
Extra cleanup that helps (original)
- Tap "Not interested" on posts you do not want.
- Mute accounts you cannot unfollow.
- Unfollow accounts that make you compare yourself.
- Use the Following feed to see only people you follow.
- Turn off suggested posts for a while if your app offers it.
Topics worth removing for your confidence (original)
- "What I eat in a day" weight loss content
- Before and after cosmetic procedures
- Ranking or rating women's looks
- Heavily filtered "glow up" content
Topics worth adding (original)
- Real skin and makeup on unfiltered faces
- Strength and fitness from qualified coaches
- Style content from women with your body type
- Hobbies, books, travel, cooking
If you are a creator
When people can choose topics directly, it matters more that your account is clearly about something. Use the same few topics often, say what a post is about in the first line of the caption, and keep a clear niche. That helps Instagram match your posts to people who picked those topics.
Why Instagram is pushing this
Mosseri said the goal is to turn Your Algorithm "from a setting to something that feels central to your experience on Instagram." [1] GCN also reported that Instagram is testing buttons under Reels to see more or fewer posts like it, and noted TikTok has a similar topics tool with broader, more general categories. [1]
A 7 day feed reset plan (original)
- Day 1: open Your Algorithm and remove three topics that drain you.
- Day 2: add three topics you want more of.
- Day 3: unfollow 10 accounts that make you compare yourself.
- Day 4: follow 10 accounts in your new topics.
- Day 5: tap "Not interested" on anything off track.
- Day 6: spend a few minutes engaging with posts you want more of, by saving or sharing them.
- Day 7: check your topic list again. Did it change?
FAQ (original)
Will removing topics hurt the accounts I follow? No. Your follows still show in your Following feed.
Do I have to do this often? Check every month or two. Your interests change, and so does the list.
Quick takeaway
Your Algorithm lets you edit the topics Instagram shows you.
It now covers Reels, Explore and the main feed, per an October 2026 report.
Remove topics that make you feel bad and add ones you want.
Creators: a clear niche helps the right people find you.