Instagram Expands Algorithmic Controls, But "Following" Requests Remain Off-Limits
"We want to evolve Your Algorithm from a setting to something that feels central to your experience on Instagram." — Adam Mosseri
Instagram has rolled out expanded personalization controls for its main feed, allowing users to specify topics they want to see more or less of. However, the feature notably does not permit users to request posts from accounts they already follow.
Feature Availability and Functionality
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced the expansion on Threads. The new personalization feature operates on interest-based topics—such as "rescue dogs" or "parenting humor." When users attempt to request "posts from people I follow," the system returns an error stating "no results found."
Instagram maintains a separate "following" feed that displays content exclusively from accounts users follow. This feed is distinct from the main recommendations-based feed, which the company continues to push as the default experience.
Access and Interface
Mosseri stated that Instagram is testing new methods to access the "Your Algorithm" feature, which launched last year. Testing includes:
- Pulling down in the feed to access the menu
- Swiping up from a Reel
- Buttons beneath each Reel to indicate content preference
Mosseri acknowledged that the "following" preference tool has become less effective as recommendations increasingly dominate the main feed.
He added that "some of this is testing now, some is coming soon, some might not work."
Technical Background and Future Development
Mosseri attributed the new personalization features to advances in large language models. He acknowledged that the "following" preference tool has become less effective as algorithmic recommendations increasingly dominate the main feed. The company stated it is working on supporting requests for people, moods, content types, and other parameters—though no timeline for these features was provided.
User Feedback
In response to Mosseri's announcements, the most popular comments on his posts requested that the algorithm prioritize content from accounts users follow. This recurring request highlights a tension between Instagram's push toward discovery-based feeds and user desire for control over who appears in their main feed.