How to Refresh Your Instagram Feed and Take Control

Published on June 2nd, 2025

Have you ever felt like your Instagram feed doesn’t quite match your current interests anymore?

Maybe you’re seeing content that no longer resonates with you, or perhaps your recommendations have become repetitive and stale.

Instagram has heard these concerns and is rolling out an exciting new feature that puts you back in the driver’s seat of your social media experience.

The platform is testing a recommendations reset feature that allows users to completely refresh their content suggestions across Explore, Reels, and Feed.

This game-changing tool is designed to give everyone – especially teenagers – more control over their Instagram experience while ensuring safe, age-appropriate content consumption.

What Is Instagram’s Recommendations Reset Feature?

Instagram’s new recommendations reset is essentially a “clean slate” button for your content feed. With just a few simple taps, you can clear all your personalized recommendations across three key areas:

Explore page – Discover new content and accounts
Reels – Short-form video recommendations
Feed – Your main Instagram timeline

Once you reset your recommendations, Instagram starts fresh. The algorithm will gradually learn your preferences again based on your new interactions with posts, stories, and accounts.

This means your feed will evolve to reflect your current interests rather than being stuck showing content based on past behavior.

The Reset Process: Simple and Straightforward

The beauty of this feature lies in its simplicity. Users can access the reset option through their settings and complete the process in just a few taps.

During the reset, you’ll also have the opportunity to review your following list and unfollow accounts that no longer align with your interests.

This approach mirrors how we might declutter our physical spaces – taking inventory of what we have and deciding what still serves us.

Why Instagram Introduced This Feature

Instagram’s decision to introduce recommendations reset stems from their commitment to user safety and satisfaction, particularly for teenage users.

The platform recognizes that interests and preferences evolve over time, especially for young people who are still discovering their passions and identity.

Key Motivations Behind the Feature:

Enhanced User Safety: By giving users more control over their content, Instagram aims to create safer online experiences, especially for teens who may be more vulnerable to inappropriate or harmful content.

Evolving Interests: As people grow and change, their content preferences should evolve too. The reset feature acknowledges that what interested you six months ago might not be relevant today.

Improved User Experience: When recommendations become stagnant or irrelevant, users may spend less meaningful time on the platform. Fresh recommendations can reinvigorate the Instagram experience.

Parental Peace of Mind: Parents can feel more confident knowing their teens have tools to actively shape their online environment.

Existing Tools to Customize Your Instagram Experience

The recommendations reset builds upon Instagram’s existing suite of customization tools. Understanding these features can help you maintain better control over your feed even after resetting your recommendations.

Content Preference Tools

Interest Indicators: You can signal your preferences by selecting “Interested” or “Not Interested” from the three-dot menu on any post. This immediate feedback helps Instagram understand your evolving tastes.

Topic Selection: Teens in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia can now choose specific topics they want to see more of, including:

Books and literature
Travel and adventure
Cooking and food
Sports and fitness
And many more categories

Hidden Words Feature: This powerful tool allows you to hide content containing specific words or phrases in captions, giving you granular control over what appears in your feed.

Feed Organization Features

Following Feed: Switch to chronological viewing to see content from accounts you follow in the order it was posted, with the most recent content appearing first.

Favorites List: Prioritize content from your most important accounts by adding them to your Favorites list. This ensures you never miss updates from accounts that matter most to you.

Close Friends: Control who sees your Stories by creating a Close Friends list, giving you more privacy and intimacy in your sharing.

Account Management Tools

Activity Review: The “Your activity” section in settings provides a comprehensive view of all your previous interactions, helping you understand and manage your digital footprint.

Following List Audits: Instagram encourages regular reviews of your following list to ensure you’re still interested in the content from accounts you follow.

Instagram’s Commitment to Age-Appropriate Content

Understanding Instagram’s approach to content safety helps explain why the recommendations reset feature is particularly valuable for younger users.

Multi-Layered Protection System

Instagram employs several strategies to keep teens safe:

Content Removal: Posts that violate community guidelines are removed entirely from the platform.

Recommendation Filtering: Sensitive or mature content is actively excluded from teen recommendations, even if it doesn’t violate guidelines.

Complete Hiding: In some cases, potentially inappropriate content is hidden from teens entirely, even if shared by accounts they follow.

Stricter Guidelines: Teens face more restrictive content policies than adult users, creating an additional layer of protection.

Transparency and Trust

Instagram is also enhancing transparency by publishing detailed information about their teen safety measures on their Transparency Center. This commitment to openness helps build trust with users and parents alike.

Expert Partnership: Learning from Organization Professionals

Instagram has partnered with Joanna and Clea from The Home Edit to provide guidance on organizing Instagram accounts.

This collaboration offers valuable insights into treating your social media presence like any other aspect of your life that benefits from regular organization and maintenance.

Key Organization Principles:

Regular Reviews: Just as you might declutter your closet seasonally, review your Instagram content and following lists periodically
Intentional Curation: Be purposeful about what content you choose to engage with
Seasonal Adjustments: Allow your interests and feed to evolve as you do
Quality over Quantity: Focus on following accounts that add genuine value to your experience

When Will This Feature Be Available?

Instagram is currently testing the recommendations reset feature with select users before rolling it out globally.

While no specific timeline has been announced, the company has indicated that the feature will be available worldwide “soon.”

During the testing phase, Instagram is likely gathering user feedback and refining the feature to ensure it meets user needs effectively.

Making the Most of Your Instagram Reset

When the recommendations reset feature becomes available to you, consider these strategies to maximize its effectiveness:

Before You Reset:

Take note of accounts you definitely want to keep seeing content from
Consider what topics or types of content you want to explore
Review your current following list and identify accounts to unfollow

After You Reset:

Be intentional about your interactions in the first few weeks
Use the “Interested” and “Not Interested” feedback options actively
Engage meaningfully with content that aligns with your current interests
Regularly review and adjust your following list

The Bigger Picture: Digital Wellness and User Control

Instagram’s recommendations reset feature represents a broader trend toward giving users more control over their digital experiences.

This shift acknowledges that social media platforms have a responsibility to prioritize user wellbeing alongside engagement.

By providing tools like recommendations reset, Instagram is recognizing that a positive user experience isn’t just about showing content that keeps people scrolling – it’s about showing content that adds genuine value to their lives.

Conclusion: A Fresh Start for Your Instagram Experience

Instagram’s upcoming recommendations reset feature offers an exciting opportunity to take control of your social media experience.

Whether you’re a teen exploring new interests, a parent concerned about your child’s online experience, or simply someone who wants to refresh their feed, this tool provides the flexibility to start fresh while maintaining the personalization that makes Instagram engaging.

The feature works best when combined with Instagram’s existing customization tools and a mindful approach to social media consumption.

By regularly reviewing your content preferences, being intentional about your interactions, and taking advantage of features like the recommendations reset, you can ensure that your Instagram experience continues to evolve with you.

As this feature rolls out globally, it represents Instagram’s commitment to user safety, customization, and digital wellness – values that benefit everyone on the platform.

Instagram Recommendations Reset FAQs

What is Instagram’s new recommendations reset feature?

Instagram is testing a new feature that allows users to reset their content recommendations across Explore, Reels, and Feed with just a few taps.

This gives users a fresh start by clearing their personalized recommendations, which will then gradually rebuild based on new interactions with content and accounts.

Who can use the recommendations reset feature?

The feature is being tested for everyone on Instagram, including teens.

It’s designed to help all users, especially teenagers, have more control over their Instagram experience and ensure they see age-appropriate, valuable content.

How does the reset process work?

Users can clear their recommended content in just a few taps. After resetting, recommendations will start personalizing again over time based on the content and accounts they interact with going forward.

Users also have the option to review and unfollow accounts that share content they no longer want to see.

What other tools does Instagram offer to customize recommendations?

Instagram provides several existing tools to help users curate their experience:

Marking content as “Interested” or “Not interested” through the three-dot menu
Topic selection for teens in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia (books, travel, cooking, sports, etc.)
Hidden Words feature to hide content with specific words or phrases
Following Feed for chronological content from followed accounts
Favorites list to see preferred content more prominently
Close Friends for controlling Story visibility

How does Instagram protect teens from inappropriate content?

Instagram has implemented stricter content rules for teens and takes multiple protective measures:

Removing content that violates community guidelines
Avoiding recommending sensitive or mature content to teens
Sometimes hiding inappropriate content entirely, even from accounts teens follow
Providing Teen Accounts with built-in protections from sensitive content
Publishing transparency information about age-appropriate content measures

When will this feature be available?

The recommendations reset feature is currently in testing phase and will roll out globally soon. Instagram hasn’t specified an exact timeline for the full release.

What partnership is Instagram highlighting for this feature?

Instagram is partnering with organization experts Joanna and Clea from The Home Edit to provide tips for parents and teens on organizing their Instagram accounts, similar to organizing physical spaces – regularly reviewing content to ensure it still matches their interests and preferences.