# How to Reset Your Instagram Algorithm

Page: https://famoid.com/how-to-reset-instagram-algorithm/

Instagram has a built-in reset. Go to your profile, tap Menu, then Content preferences, then Reset suggested content. It clears your suggestions in Explore, Reels and Feed, and they rebuild as you use the app.

## The short answer

Yes, you can reset your Instagram algorithm. Instagram has an official option called **Reset suggested content**. Here is how to reset Instagram algorithm suggestions in the app:

1. Go to your profile and tap **Menu** in the top right.
2. Below **What you see**, tap **Content preferences**.
3. Tap **Reset suggested content**, then tap **Next**.
4. Review who you follow if you want to, then tap **Reset suggested content**.

This clears what Instagram suggests to you in Explore, Reels and Feed. It does not unfollow anyone. Your suggestions then rebuild from what you like, share and interact with next.

<figure>
  <img src="/assets/guides/how-to-reset-instagram-algorithm/reset-instagram-algorithm-steps-what-it-clears.svg" alt="Steps to reset the Instagram algorithm with Reset suggested content, and what the reset clears and keeps" width="800" height="420" loading="lazy" decoding="async">
  <figcaption>Four taps clear your suggestions. Your follows and your data stay.</figcaption>
</figure>

## How to reset Instagram algorithm step by step

These steps come from Instagram's help page, [Reset your suggested content](https://help.instagram.com/556617736965724/). They are the same on iPhone and Android.

### Step 1: Open your menu

Tap **Profile** or your profile picture in the bottom right. Then tap **Menu** in the top right.

### Step 2: Open Content preferences

Below **What you see**, tap **Content preferences**. Then tap **Reset suggested content**.

### Step 3: Review your follows

Tap **Next** and follow the steps on screen. Instagram gives you the option to review who you follow and your ads topics. This is the moment to unfollow accounts that fill your feed with things you no longer want.

### Step 4: Confirm

Tap **Reset suggested content**. The reset cannot be undone, so make sure you want a fresh start.

## What the reset clears and what it keeps

| Part of your account | After a reset |
|---|---|
| Suggestions in Explore, Reels and Feed | Cleared, so you start fresh |
| Accounts you follow | Kept, unless you choose to unfollow |
| Ads you see | Not changed by the reset |
| Your data, posts and messages | Not deleted |
| Undo button | None |

Instagram's help pages describe one reset for all three places. They do not list a separate reset for only Reels or only Explore. Instagram also says it will still use your data to shape your experience in other ways. So the reset is a clean slate for suggestions, not a blank account.

## What happens after you reset

At first you will see posts about topics you may not normally see. Instagram says they become more personalized again as you like, share and interact with posts.

It gives no timeline for this. Your next few days of use teach it the most. If you watch the same kind of Reels you wanted to escape, they will come back. Be picky about what you like, save and watch to the end.

## How to change your Instagram algorithm without a full reset

A full reset is a big step. Often a few small changes fix the problem. Each of these tools shapes one part of what you see.

### Tell Instagram your topics with Your Algorithm

Instagram added **Your Algorithm** in December 2025. By June 2026 it covered Feed, Reels and Explore, in English worldwide. It shows a summary of the topics shaping your suggestions. You can add topics you want more of and less of.

To open it, go to **Reels** or **Explore** and tap the icon in the top corner (two lines with hearts). You can also find it in **Content preferences**. Changes carry across Feed, Reels and Explore, as Instagram's [Your Algorithm announcement](https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/reels-algorithm-control) explains. Instagram's Help Center notes it may not be available to everyone yet.

### Tap Not interested or Interested

On any post you do not want, tap **Options**, then **Not interested**. This works in your feed, Reels, Explore and Search. In Explore you can also tap and hold a post. On posts you like in Explore, tap the three dots and choose **Interested**.

### Snooze suggested posts in Feed

On a suggested post, tap **Options**, then **Not interested**, then **Snooze**. That pauses all suggested posts in your Feed for 30 days.

### Hide posts with certain words

After you tap **Not interested**, choose **Don't suggest posts with certain words**. Type the words, phrases or emojis to hide. It can take up to 24 hours to work. You can edit the list in **Content preferences**, under **Specific words and phrases**. It only hides suggested posts, not posts from people you follow.

### Switch to Following or Favorites

Tap **Instagram** at the top left of your feed, then tap **Following** or **Favorites**. Following shows posts from people you follow, newest first. Favorites shows up to 50 accounts you pick, and they are not told you added them.

### Set your Sensitive content control

Go to **Menu**, then **Content preferences**, then **Sensitive content**. Pick **Less** or **More** and tap **Confirm**. It sets how much possibly upsetting content you see in Explore, Search, Reels and suggestions.

### Mute accounts you follow

Open their profile, tap **Following**, then **Mute**. Turn on **Posts** or **Stories**. Instagram does not tell them. You keep following, you just stop seeing them.

## Clear your search history too

Instagram saves your searches so you can find accounts and hashtags again quickly. If old searches keep reminding you of topics you want to leave, clear them. To do it, go to **Menu**, then **Your activity**, then **Recent searches**, and tap **Clear all**.

Keep one thing in mind. Instagram does not list searches among the signals on its page about suggested posts. So clearing your searches tidies things up, but do not expect it to reset your feed by itself.

## Teens and supervised accounts

Instagram says the reset is open to everyone, teens included. Teen Accounts start on the stricter **Ages 13+** content setting. When a parent supervises a Teen Account, they can see the general topics the teen added in **Your Algorithm** through Family Center.

## Why your feed may not feel reset

If the reset did not seem to work, check these.

- **Your follows are still there.** Posts from people you follow are not suggestions. Review your follows or mute them.
- **Threads counts.** Instagram lists your activity on Threads among the signals for suggestions.
- **Cache is not the algorithm.** Clearing the cache or reinstalling the app does not touch your account history. Our guide on [how to clear Instagram cache](/how-to-clear-instagram-cache/) explains what the cache is for.
- **Old habits return fast.** Like, save or comment on the old topic and it comes back.

If you use TikTok too, it has its own version. See [how to reset your TikTok algorithm](/how-to-reset-tiktok-algorithm/).

## A simple plan for the next few days

1. Run the reset and unfollow the accounts you no longer enjoy.
2. Open **Your Algorithm** and add three or four topics you want more of.
3. Search for those topics and follow a few good accounts.
4. Tap **Not interested** on the first off-topic posts you see.
5. Use the **Following** feed when you want a calm, in-order view.

If you post on Instagram, resetting your own feed does not change who sees your posts or your follower count. To keep an eye on that number, use our free [Instagram follower count checker](/instagram-follower-count-checker/).

## Quick answers

**How do I reset suggested Instagram content?**

Go to your profile and tap Menu. Below What you see, tap Content preferences, then Reset suggested content. Tap Next, follow the steps, then tap Reset suggested content again to confirm.

**How do I reset all my Instagram feed?**

The reset clears suggested posts in your Feed, Reels and Explore. Posts from people you follow stay. To change those, review who you follow during the reset, or mute accounts you want a break from.

**How long does it take to reset the IG algorithm?**

The reset happens when you confirm it. After that, Instagram says your suggestions become more personalized again as you like, share and interact. It gives no fixed timeline, so what you tap in the next few days matters most.

**Does resetting the Instagram algorithm unfollow people?**

No. Instagram says the reset does not change who you follow. You get the option to review your follows first, and you only unfollow accounts you choose.

**Can you undo an Instagram algorithm reset?**

No. Instagram says the reset cannot be undone. Your suggestions will adjust again as you use the app, but the old ones do not come back with a button.

**Does clearing the Instagram cache reset the algorithm?**

No. Suggestions are built from your account activity, such as what you follow, like, save and comment on. Clearing the cache removes files on your phone, not your account history.

**Does resetting my feed change who sees my posts?**

No. The reset only changes what Instagram suggests to you. It does not change how your own posts are shown to other people.


## Related

- [Instagram follower count checker (free)](https://famoid.com/instagram-follower-count-checker/)
- [How to reset your TikTok algorithm](https://famoid.com/how-to-reset-tiktok-algorithm/)
- [How to clear Instagram cache](https://famoid.com/how-to-clear-instagram-cache/)

Written by the Famoid team. Updated 2026-09-22.
