Facebook is making it easier for users to decide what appears in their feeds. Meta has introduced new AI-powered algorithm controls that allow people to tell the platform what they want to see using ordinary language, rather than relying entirely on likes, comments and viewing habits.
Announced on October 13, 2026, the update expands Facebook’s Your Algorithm feature, giving users more direct control over recommended content across Feed and Reels. People can add or remove topics, explain their preferences and ask the system to show more or less of certain types of posts.
Meta says the recommendations can change in real time, allowing users to influence their browsing experience almost immediately.
It’s a different approach to content discovery. Instead of making people wait for Facebook to figure out their interests, the platform is letting them explain those interests themselves.
Facebook Introduces Plain-Language Controls for Content Recommendations
Facebook’s recommendation algorithm has traditionally relied on user behaviour to determine which posts and videos appear in the feed. Every like, comment, share and video view helps the platform build a picture of someone’s interests.
That approach isn’t always accurate. Watching several videos about a particular subject doesn’t necessarily mean someone wants to see similar content every day.
The updated Facebook algorithm controls aim to address that problem by allowing users to communicate directly with the recommendation system.
Through Your Algorithm, people can manage the topics Facebook associates with their interests. They can also type instructions explaining which subjects they want to see more frequently and which ones they would rather avoid.
The feature uses a conversational interface, making the process feel more like giving instructions to an AI assistant than adjusting traditional social media settings.
Facebook has also updated the three-dot menu on posts to make these controls easier to access.
Your Algorithm Lets Users Adjust Facebook Feed and Reels Instantly
One of the biggest changes is how quickly Facebook says its recommendation system responds to feedback.
Previously, users could influence recommendations by engaging with certain posts or selecting options such as Interested and Not Interested. Those signals helped Facebook understand their preferences over time.
The updated system introduces more direct instructions.
Someone interested in travel photography, for example, could ask Facebook to recommend more travel-related content. Another user might request fewer celebrity videos or less coverage of a particular subject.
Meta says the algorithm can process these preferences immediately and adjust recommendations within the same browsing session.
The changes apply to both the main Facebook Feed and Reels, where personalized recommendations play a major role in content discovery.
This doesn’t mean users will control every post that appears. Facebook still determines content rankings, but the new tools give people a more direct way to influence those decisions.
Facebook Expands Interested and Not Interested Feedback Options
Meta is also improving how Facebook collects feedback from individual posts.
When users select Interested or Not Interested, the platform may now ask additional questions about their response. Instead of simply recording whether someone liked a post, Facebook can gather more specific information about what influenced that decision.
A user might enjoy a cooking video but dislike the creator’s presentation style. Another person might find a technology post interesting while wanting fewer videos about the same product.
The new feedback system gives users an opportunity to explain those differences.
Facebook’s AI then interprets the responses and uses them to refine future recommendations.
The goal is to make content personalization more precise. Rather than treating every interaction as a simple positive or negative signal, Meta wants its algorithm to understand the reasons behind user preferences.
That could help reduce unwanted recommendations, although the results will depend on how accurately the system interprets what people write.
Meta Uses Large Language Models to Improve Facebook’s Algorithm
The technology behind the update relies on large language models (LLMs), which can interpret natural language and identify meaning beyond individual keywords.
Meta is incorporating these models into Facebook’s ranking systems to better understand the context and intent behind user instructions.
For years, Facebook has analyzed thousands of behavioural signals to predict what people might find interesting. The updated approach combines those existing signals with information users provide directly.
This allows the algorithm to consider not only what someone watches or interacts with, but also what they explicitly say they want.
Meta believes this combination will make recommendations more responsive to changing interests.
A person’s preferences can shift quickly. Someone researching a holiday destination today may have little interest in seeing travel recommendations several weeks later.
With conversational controls, users can update their preferences without waiting for Facebook to gradually recognize those changes through their activity.
The company says its ranking system can respond during the same session, although it has not provided detailed performance figures showing how much the feature improves recommendation accuracy.
Will Facebook Users Actually Change Their Algorithm Settings?
The new controls sound useful, but Facebook faces a familiar challenge: convincing people to use them.
The platform already offers several options for managing content, including the ability to view posts in chronological order through its Feeds section.
Yet many users continue browsing through the default algorithm-driven feed.
Social Media Today highlighted this issue in its coverage of the announcement, noting that Facebook users often request greater control without necessarily exploring the settings already available.
The latest update attempts to make personalization more accessible by placing controls closer to the content people encounter.
Instead of searching through multiple menus, users can open the three-dot menu on a post and provide feedback directly.
Whether that convenience encourages wider adoption remains uncertain.
Some users may appreciate the ability to customize their recommendations. Others might prefer to keep scrolling and allow Facebook to decide what appears.
The effectiveness of the feature will depend not only on Meta’s AI technology but also on whether people actively use the new controls.
What Facebook’s Algorithm Update Means for Content Creators and Brands
For creators, publishers and businesses, Facebook’s new recommendation controls could influence how audiences discover content.
The platform has long used engagement signals to determine which posts reach users beyond an account’s existing followers. The updated system adds another consideration: the interests people explicitly communicate.
If someone tells Facebook they want more content about fitness, travel or technology, the algorithm may place greater emphasis on recommendations that match those preferences.
Likewise, users who request fewer posts about certain subjects may encounter less related content.
This creates another reason for creators to understand what their audiences genuinely want.
Producing relevant content could become increasingly important as Facebook develops more personalized recommendations.
However, Meta has not announced any specific changes to creator ranking factors or guaranteed improvements in organic reach.
Brands should therefore avoid assuming that the new feature will automatically increase visibility.
The practical takeaway is simpler. Content that clearly serves an audience’s interests may be better positioned to benefit from more accurate recommendation systems.
Facebook Follows Instagram and Threads With More Personalized Algorithms
Facebook’s update is part of Meta’s broader effort to give users more influence over algorithm-driven recommendations across its social platforms.
Instagram previously introduced its own Your Algorithm controls, allowing users to manage topics that influence recommended content.
Threads also launched a related feature called Dear Algo, which lets users request changes to the content they see.
Facebook is now extending this conversational approach to its own Feed and Reels experience.
The direction is becoming clearer. Meta wants users to interact with recommendation systems more directly, rather than relying exclusively on behavioural signals.
Artificial intelligence makes that possible by interpreting written instructions and connecting them with existing information about user interests.
Still, these features don’t eliminate algorithmic ranking. They provide another layer of personalization within systems that Meta continues to manage.
Facebook’s New Algorithm Controls Could Change How People Discover Content
Facebook’s latest update gives users something they have requested for years: a more straightforward way to influence what appears in their feeds.
The ability to add interests, remove unwanted topics and explain preferences through everyday language could make recommendations feel more relevant.
For Meta, the technology also offers a way to make Facebook’s recommendation system more responsive without abandoning its existing ranking model.
There are still unanswered questions about how widely people will use the feature and how effectively it will interpret detailed requests.
Meta has not specified a complete rollout schedule for every market.
For now, the introduction of AI-powered Facebook algorithm controls marks another step toward a social media experience where users can communicate directly with the technology deciding what they see.
The algorithm will still make the final recommendations. But users now have another way to tell it when those recommendations miss the mark.
Sources
- Social Media Today – Facebook Adds Plain Language Algorithm Controls
- Meta Newsroom – Your Algorithm, Your Words: New Ways to Shape What You See on Facebook
- TechCrunch – Facebook Is Giving Users More Control Over Their Algorithm
- The Verge – Facebook Will Let You Customize Your Feed Algorithm Using AI