Facebook is introducing Facebook Your Algorithm, a set of controls that lets people explain their content preferences in their own words. Announced by Meta on October 13, the feature is designed to help users influence what appears in Feed and Reels rather than relying only on likes, comments, watch history, and other engagement signals. Meta says recommendations can update in real time, but the rollout is still underway.
How Your Algorithm works
The dedicated Your algorithm area is accessible from the three-dot menu on Facebook posts. People can add and manage topics they want to see in Feed and Reels. Meta is also expanding feedback options: after someone chooses “Interested” or “Not interested,” Facebook may ask follow-up questions so they can explain what they liked or want to see less often.
Meta says large language models help its ranking systems interpret the context and intent behind these written preferences. The company says changes can affect recommendations within the same session. It has not published independent evidence showing how much the controls improve recommendation quality, and the announcement does not mean every account has access yet.
A broader shift toward user-controlled recommendations
The feature follows a wider move toward letting people shape recommendation feeds. YouTube, for example, has been testing more personalized viewing experiences, including custom feeds powered by Gemini. Spotify has also given eligible U.S. Premium listeners more ways to adjust their Taste Profile, while Google has expanded personalization across Search, Discover, and News.
Social platforms still make most recommendations through automated ranking. X has also had to address how its algorithm ranked replies from mutuals, while YouTube has changed how it handles re-uploaded Shorts that add little original value. These examples show that recommendations affect not only what people watch, but also which creators and posts get visibility.
For creators, the practical effect remains uncertain. People may be able to steer their feeds more directly, but Meta has not quantified how much a written preference will outweigh other ranking signals. Its rollout announcement also does not specify when the feature will reach every user.
The change fits into Meta’s wider creator and editing tools, including Facebook Creator Studio on iPhone, AI suggestions in Instagram Edits, and automatic trimming for Instagram Reels drafts. Meta has also previously removed a photo feature after users reacted to its opt-out default, a reminder that control settings matter as much as new features.
Other platforms are experimenting with related discovery and publishing changes, from replacing music on existing Instagram posts to changes in how video platforms rank content. Facebook Your Algorithm’s key test will be whether written feedback produces a noticeable, lasting change without requiring people to constantly correct their feeds.
Meta’s announcement is available in its official newsroom post.
