For a long time, social media algorithms were perceived as black boxes. Opaque, unpredictable and sometimes frustrating.

Today, platforms have identified a major risk: if recommendations drift too far from user expectations, engagement drops. And with it, retention.

As a result, TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook have gradually introduced tools allowing users to partially regain control over what they see. Not to “disable” the algorithm, but to influence it, guide it and train it.

In this article, Oxygen, your Social Media agency, breaks down the concrete features that allow users to personalize their algorithm, platform by platform, and above all how to use them strategically.

Why try to personalize your social media algorithm?

News feeds follow a simple principle: the more you interact with a type of content, the more the platform shows you similar posts.

The issue is that these signals quickly become blurred:

  • a like “out of curiosity”
  • a video watched until the end without real interest
  • a long period of inactivity

Within a few weeks, the feed can become:

  • less relevant
  • more repetitive
  • or completely off-topic

That is precisely why platforms now provide algorithm correction levers.

How to personalize algorithms across social networks

How to personalize TikTok’s algorithm

TikTok is probably the most advanced platform on this topic.

Its For You feed, which represented 74.4% of app traffic in 2023, relies almost entirely on algorithmic recommendation.

Manage Topics: guide the themes highlighted

Since late 2024, TikTok has offered the Manage Topics feature available via: Profile → Settings and privacy → Content preferences.

It allows adjustment of around ten major categories (creative arts, dance, fashion, sports, etc.) using a slider:

  • to the right to see more
  • to the left to reduce presence

Note: results are not immediate. TikTok’s algorithm needs several days to integrate these new signals.

Refresh your For You feed: start fresh

For quicker impact, TikTok offers Refresh your For You feed.

For a few minutes, the platform exposes users to popular but unfamiliar content and asks them to interact to recalibrate preferences.

It acts as a partial reset based on strong signals:

  • likes
  • comments
  • shares
  • watch time

Not Interested: the most direct signal

On mobile, a long press on a video allows you to select Not Interested.

Time-consuming, but extremely effective for long-term algorithm personalization if used consistently.

How to personalize Instagram’s algorithm

Instagram lagged behind for years.

But since late 2024, several features have strengthened user control.

Indicate what interests you or not

Through the three-dot menu on each post or Reel, users can select:

  • Interested
  • Not interested

Effective, but requires consistency and patience.

Limit sensitive and political content

In Content Preferences, Instagram allows management of:

  • sensitive content (Standard, More, Less)
  • political content, hidden by default since 2024

Users can also:

  • hide suggested posts for 30 days
  • filter specific words or emojis

Your Algorithm: the feature to watch

In December 2025, Instagram introduced Your Algorithm in the United States.

This AI-based option analyzes recently watched Reels and categorizes them by theme.

Users can then choose topics to see:

  • more often
  • less often

No official release date has been announced for France, but a rollout during 2026 is likely.

Reset suggested content

Since late 2024, Instagram also allows a full reset: Profile → Settings → Content preferences → Reset suggested content.

This is the most radical option to start from scratch.

How to personalize X’s algorithm

X remains fairly basic but offers a few levers.

This post is not relevant

Through the three-dot menu, users can flag irrelevant content.

As elsewhere, repetition matters.

Content you see: adjust interests

In Settings and privacy → Privacy and safety → Content you see, X displays automatically detected interests.

Users can:

  • remove some
  • refine others

Mute and block

This section allows:

  • keyword filtering
  • hashtag muting
  • account blocking

Simple but effective to clean the feed.

How to personalize Facebook’s algorithm

Facebook now has one of the busiest feeds, especially for inactive accounts.

Favorites and Unfollow: main tools

In Feed Preferences, Facebook mainly allows:

  • setting Favorites shown first
  • silently unfollowing pages or profiles

Hide post: ongoing work

For suggested content, the only action remains Hide post via the three-dot menu.

Meta announced in December the gradual arrival of new personalization options. To be continued.

What about LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, the algorithm relies on multiple signals:

  • past interactions
  • probability of engagement
  • professional proximity

Available actions remain limited:

  • Not interested via the three-dot menu
  • marking content as irrelevant via the top-right cross

These actions mainly prevent the reappearance of specific posts rather than resetting the feed globally.

Personalizing social media algorithms is an ongoing process

Personalizing your algorithm does not happen in one click.

It is a gradual process based on signal consistency.

Key takeaways:

  • platforms increasingly offer control tools
  • effects are rarely immediate
  • regular actions matter most
  • resetting can help but should remain occasional

Oxygen supports your social media management

Our social media team helps you:

  • understand real algorithm logic
  • adapt content strategies to each platform
  • produce content designed for recommendation, not just publication

Interested in an audit or tailored support?

Let’s talk.

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