Your Facebook feed has been guessing what you like for nearly two decades. On October 13, 2026, Meta announced Your algorithm for Facebook, a tool that lets you tell the feed what you want in your own words and see recommendations change in real time. Here is what it does, how to use it today, a 10 minute feed reset you can run this week, and where it falls short.
If you have ever muttered at your phone because Facebook showed you the same recipe reel for the fifth day running, this one is for you. Instead of nudging the feed with likes and hoping it gets the hint, you can now just say what you mean.
What Meta Actually Announced
Meta introduced Your algorithm on Facebook on Tuesday. TechCrunch’s Lauren Forristal reported it the same day. The feature covers Feed and Reels, and it comes in three parts:
- Your algorithm. A dedicated space where you add and manage the topics you want to see. Meta says you can find it in the three dot menu on a post.
- Better feedback buttons. After you tap Interested or Not interested, Facebook may ask a follow up question so you can explain what you liked or disliked.
- A redesigned three dot menu. Meta updated it on every post so these controls sit in one place.
The headline promise is speed. Meta says your recommendations respond right away and adapt within the same session. That is a big change from the old model, where a signal might take days to shift anything.
Why This Works Differently From Likes and Hides
Here is the thing. For years, Facebook’s ranking systems inferred your tastes from behavior: what you liked, commented on, watched, and thousands of other signals. You never told it anything directly. It watched and guessed.
Meta says large language models change that. They can read the interests, context and intent behind plain language, so the system can combine what you type with everything it already knows about you. In short, you are no longer a pile of clicks. You can state a preference, and the ranking system can act on it.
What this really means is that a sentence like less political arguments, more woodworking can now carry as much weight as hours of silent scrolling. That is the part worth trying.
How to Use It: Step by Step
Meta has not published a full help page yet, so these steps follow its announcement. Your screens may look slightly different, since rollouts usually reach people in waves.
- Update the Facebook app. Make sure you are on the latest version on iOS or Android.
- Open any post in Feed or Reels. Tap the three dots in the corner of the post.
- Look for Your algorithm. Meta says it lives in this menu. If you do not see it, the feature has not reached your account yet. Check back in a few days.
- Add the topics you want. Start with three to five things you actually care about right now, not everything you have ever liked.
- Remove or dial down what you are tired of. This is where most people see the fastest improvement.
- Use Interested and Not interested while you scroll. When Facebook asks a follow up, answer it. A short, specific reply beats a vague one.
- Check your feed after a day. If something still feels off, adjust one topic at a time so you can see what moved the needle.
A 10 Minute Feed Reset You Can Run This Week
Do not just poke at this once. Treat it like a quick tune up.
- Minutes 1 to 3: Scroll your Feed and Reels and note what annoys you. Write down three recurring topics you never want to see again.
- Minutes 4 to 6: Open Your algorithm and reduce or remove those three topics.
- Minutes 7 to 9: Add two or three interests that match your current life. Learning a skill, planning a trip, following a sport.
- Minute 10: Tap Interested on the next three posts you genuinely enjoy and answer any follow up question.
Here are a few example preferences you can adapt. These are my suggestions, not Meta’s wording, so shape them to your own taste:
- More practical home cooking, fewer celebrity food trends.
- Show me small business and startup stories, skip hot take debates.
- I am training for a 10K, so more running tips and less gym memes.
This Is Part of a Bigger Shift
Facebook is not alone. TechCrunch’s June roundup describes feeds moving away from a single TV channel toward something closer to a streaming service you can tune. Here is where things stand across the big apps:
| Platform | Tool | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Your algorithm (Oct 2026) | Add or manage topics for Feed and Reels, plus follow up feedback in your own words | |
| Your Algorithm | Launched for Reels in December 2025, now across Feed, Explore and Reels. You see the topics shaping your recommendations and adjust them | |
| Threads | Dear Algo and Your Algo | Dear Algo uses a public post. Your Algo, added in June 2026, does it privately, with requests lasting one, three or seven days |
| TikTok | Manage Topics | Sliders for topics in For You, plus AI powered keyword filters added in 2025 |
The pattern is clear. Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, has said he wants Your Algorithm to move from a buried setting to something central to the Instagram experience, according to TechCrunch. Facebook now joins that approach. If you use more than one Meta app, expect to spend a little time on each, since Meta has not said that your preferences carry across apps.
If you run a page or sell through Facebook, this matters for you too. Audiences who can say what they want will get pickier. Clear topics, consistent posting themes and content people actually press Interested on will serve you better than broad, generic posts. I covered how Meta is pushing AI deeper into small business tools in my post on Meta Muse for Small Business, and this feature points in the same direction.
Honest Limitations
- Availability is unclear. Meta’s announcement does not list countries, languages or an exact rollout schedule. Meta’s own user controls page notes that available controls vary by region and device type. If you cannot see it yet, that is normal.
- You are still inside Meta’s system. The tool shapes recommendations. It does not turn off ranking or give you a chronological feed.
- Echo chamber risk is real. A finer dial can make it easier to see only what you already agree with. A PEDESTRIAN.TV report on Instagram’s version raised exactly this question. Leave room for topics that stretch you.
- Real time is Meta’s claim. The company says changes show up immediately. How quickly and how strongly your feed shifts is something you will have to judge yourself.
- The benefit is mutual. TechCrunch notes that a feed matched to your interests also helps platforms keep you engaged. A better feed and a stickier feed can be the same thing.
- Teens have a separate setup. Meta has described supervision tools that give parents insight into a teen’s algorithm. Check Meta’s pages for what applies to your family.
Who Should Try It This Week
If your feed feels stale, angry or oddly obsessed with one thing you clicked in March, try the 10 minute reset. If you manage a brand page, spend the same time looking at what your own feed rewards and ask whether your posts fit a clear topic. If you do not see Your algorithm yet, bookmark this post and check the three dot menu again in a few days.
Know someone who complains about their Facebook feed every week? Send them this post. It takes ten minutes to fix.
Sources and further reading
- Meta Newsroom, Your Algorithm, Your Words: New Ways to Shape What You See on Facebook (October 13, 2026)
- TechCrunch, Lauren Forristal, Facebook is giving users more control over their algorithm (October 13, 2026)
- TechCrunch, Aisha Malik, Social media’s next evolution: user controlled algorithms (June 17, 2026)
- TechCrunch, Anthony Ha, Instagram is testing more ways to customize Your Algorithm (June 27, 2026)
- Meta Transparency Center, User control: How to shape your experience on Meta’s platforms (updated March 2, 2026)
- PEDESTRIAN.TV, Instagram Says It Wants To Give You More Control Of Your Algorithm. Is It Enough?
Leave a Reply