Instagram will let you control which topics its algorithm recommends

By Mason Leib and Taylor Dunn 

Instagram is handing users some control in deciding what content they see.

The social media giant is allowing users to have a say over their algorithm in a new feature launching Wednesday called "Your Algorithm," which is available in the "Reels" tab of the app.

"We use AI to summarize your interests based on your activity," Tessa Lyons, vice president of product at Instagram, said in an exclusive interview, which aired on "Good Morning America," breaking the news of the update on Wednesday. "And if we get it wrong, you can remove those interests from your algorithm."

Users can navigate to the "Reels" tab and click the new icon, two lines with hearts, in the top right corner of the screen to view a personal dashboard of their top interests based on what content users engage with most frequently.

In that dashboard, users can note which content they would like to view more frequently or less frequently.

"Being able to tell us that directly so that we can take action in real time, I think, will improve their Instagram experience," said Lyons. "This is one way for you to give us feedback on what you're seeing on reels that can influence the reels you're seeing going forward. And I think people are going to really enjoy having that level of control and customization."

Lance Ulanoff, editor at large for the popular tech news website TechRadar, pointed out the important jump this signifies for user understanding of the algorithm in an interview with "Good Morning America."

"Algorithms are sort of at the center of these social media platforms. They're maybe the most important part and maybe the least understood part for most consumers," said Ulanoff. "So this is a very big step where one company is kind of opening it up and letting people figure out what it really is and what it means to them."

A blog post from Instagram summarizing the new feature highlights that the new feature allows users to "see your top interests," "tune your preferences" and "share your algorithm"- the ability to post your interests to your Instagram story for followers to see.

"Instagram is leading the way in giving you more control, so your Reels feel relevant and made for you. We’re starting with the Reels tab, and are planning to bring this ability to Explore, and more places in the app soon," reads the blog post. "We’re still early in this journey, and will keep refining and improving the experience over time."