How to Reset Instagram Algorithm and How Ranking Works in 2026

How to reset Instagram algorithm suggestions in 2026

To reset Instagram algorithm suggestions, use the Reset suggested content option in Content preferences. It clears what Instagram has learned about your interests for recommendations and starts again.

Meta introduced the reset in November 2024 and updated its announcement in July 2025. These are the steps Meta gives:

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
2. Tap the three-bar More options icon in the top corner.
3. Select Content preferences.
4. Tap Reset suggested content.
5. Review the screen that follows, where you can check the accounts you follow and unfollow any you no longer want.
6. Accept the terms, then tap Reset suggested content to confirm.

Menu labels can differ by app version and country. If you do not see Content preferences, search your settings for Reset suggested content. Meta's announcement said it was testing the feature and planned to roll it out globally, so it may appear in a slightly different place on your app.

What happens after you reset suggested content on Instagram

After you reset suggested content on Instagram, your recommended posts and Reels in Explore, Reels and Feed are cleared. Over time, Instagram builds new recommendations based on what you interact with next.

The reset deals with suggestions, not your account. The accounts you follow stay followed unless you choose to unfollow them on the review screen. Meta describes the reset only as clearing the recommended content you see in Explore, Reels and Feed.

The first days after a reset matter most. Instagram learns from what you watch, like, save and share, so a few minutes spent on topics you actually want will shape the new feed faster than passive scrolling. If you rush back to the old habits, the old recommendations tend to return.

• Watch to the end only what you want more of.
• Skip quickly past topics you are trying to leave behind.
• Follow a few accounts in your new areas of interest to give Instagram a clear signal.

Other ways to retrain the Instagram algorithm without a full reset

You can retrain the Instagram algorithm without a full reset by telling it directly what you want more or less of. These tools are better when only one topic is the problem.

Your Algorithm

Instagram began rolling out Your Algorithm in the US in December 2025, starting on Reels. It shows topics that shape your recommendations and lets you choose topics to see more or less of. TechCrunch reported in June 2026 that Adam Mosseri was testing more ways to reach it, such as a pull-down menu in Feed and a swipe-up prompt on Reels. Where you find it can still depend on your region, language and app version.

Not interested

Mosseri's ranking explainer lists Not interested as a way to shape recommendations. Mark a recommended post as Not interested and Instagram shows you less of that kind of content, without clearing everything else.

Unfollow and mute

Unfollowing removes an account from your Feed. Muting keeps the follow but hides that account's Feed posts, Stories, messages or notes, which Mosseri also lists as a way to control what you see.

Use these tools first if your feed is mostly fine. Save the full reset for when your recommendations feel completely off track.

How does the Instagram algorithm work?

The Instagram algorithm works as a set of separate ranking systems, one for each part of the app, that predict what you are most likely to care about. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, wrote in May 2023 that Instagram does not have a single algorithm that decides what people see.

Each surface, such as Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels, uses its own signals because people use them differently. Feed mixes accounts you follow with recommended posts, and Stories come from people you follow. Explore and Reels are built to help you discover new things, and Mosseri wrote that most of what you see in Reels comes from accounts you don't follow. Here are the most important signals Mosseri listed for each, in order:

In plain terms, Instagram predicts actions. It estimates how likely you are to watch, like, comment, share or save a post, and ranks what you see by those chances.

Instagram algorithm 2026: watch time, likes and sends

The Instagram algorithm in 2026 still leans on three signals Adam Mosseri named in January 2025: watch time, likes and sends. He called them the top three signals that matter most for ranking.

Mosseri also explained how the signals differ by audience. Likes are slightly more important for connected content, which means posts shown to your followers. Sends, meaning shares by direct message, are slightly more important for unconnected content shown to people who don't follow you.

Mosseri suggested creators track average watch time and likes and sends per reach. Measuring per account reached matters because a post shown to more people will naturally collect more of everything. For help finding these numbers, see Instagram Insights explained.

How Instagram decides what to recommend to non-followers

Instagram recommends content to non-followers only when it is eligible under its Recommendations Guidelines, and then ranks it by how people are likely to respond. Eligibility is the gate, and signals like watch time and sends decide how far a post travels.

Professional accounts can see their eligibility in Account Status. Content that goes against the Recommendations Guidelines, such as violence or promotion of regulated products, can still be shown to followers, but is not suggested to new people. Many people call that a shadowban, and our guide to the Instagram shadowban explains how to check and fix it.

Instagram also gives creators a way to test with new audiences. Trial reels, announced in December 2024, are shown to non-followers first, so a creator can see how a Reel performs with new people before sharing it with followers.

How to work with the Instagram algorithm as a creator

To work with the Instagram algorithm as a creator, make posts people watch to the end, like and send to friends. Every practical tip comes back to those three signals.

1. Hook in the first seconds. On Reels, show the payoff or the question early so viewers keep watching.
2. Make it worth sending. Useful tips, relatable moments and posts that tag a common problem get shared by direct message.
3. Use carousels for depth. A carousel keeps people on the post longer as they swipe.
4. Post when followers are active. Early likes from followers help a post start well. Our guide to the best time to post on Instagram shows how to find your slot.
5. Stay eligible. Check Account Status after any big drop in reach.
6. Measure per reach. Compare likes and sends per account reached, not raw totals.

Some creators add a small amount of paid engagement to new posts for social proof. SocialGrowthly's likes + views combo is one example. Be realistic about it: paid engagement makes a post look more active, but it does not create real fans or sales by itself, it does not replace real watch time or sends, and it is not risk-free, because Meta's spam policy bans buying, selling or exchanging engagement such as likes. The tactics in how to increase engagement on Instagram build the signals that last.