Facebook lets you tell its algorithm what you want more or less of

On October 13, 2026, Meta announced new Facebook recommendation controls. Your algorithm lets people add and manage interest topics. Interested and Not interested feedback in Feed and Reels may also ask for more detail, allowing people to describe preferences in their own words.

The controls are in a post's three-dot menu. Meta says large language models interpret natural-language interests and intent alongside existing ranking signals, aiming to adjust recommendations during the current browsing session.

The update shifts some feedback from what you clicked to what you want now. It is rolling out; the announcement does not list complete region, language and account eligibility, so actual availability depends on your interface. “Real-time adjustment” is not a guarantee that one instruction produces a perfectly matching feed.

Describe the focus instead of repeatedly guessing

Suppose you are starting to grow plants on a balcony and want small-space advice. After watching a few garden videos, you get large-yard renovation content. Both involve gardening, but they do not help with the same housing conditions.

You could try: “More balcony vegetables and beginner-friendly small pots; less large-yard remodeling.” This describes a setting, experience level and unwanted content. It gives you a clearer way to assess subsequent recommendations than simply saying you like gardening.

Likewise, watching camping equipment once does not necessarily mean you always want shopping content. Explicit preferences provide another way to redirect recommendations without watching more unwanted material to try to signal that you dislike it.

Preference controls do not establish factual quality

A recommendation that matches your interests does not guarantee correct gardening advice, nor does it mean disliked topics will disappear completely. The platform still combines other signals, and available content affects the result.

A practical goal is to see more material usable on a small balcony, rather than demanding that every post match. For medication, health or investment claims in a video, interest settings certainly do not replace checking the underlying information.

The official announcement describes two paths: topic management and feedback on the current post. Start with one small adjustment rather than changing many preferences at once.

1. Find the actual entry. Open a post's three-dot menu in Facebook Feed or Reels and look for Your algorithm. If it is absent, use the features actually available to your account. The announcement does not mean everyone already has access.
2. Describe the topics you want. Add or manage interests in Your algorithm. Start with something concrete, such as beginner balcony gardening, instead of combining many unrelated requests.
3. Explain an unsuitable post when asked. After choosing Interested or Not interested, add your own explanation if a follow-up appears. For example: “Large-yard remodeling is not useful to me; I want small-balcony ideas.” A follow-up may appear; it is not promised after every choice.
4. Return to the feed and look at the result. Review several subsequent posts to see whether they better match your setting. You can note relevant and irrelevant examples instead of judging success from one video you happen to like.
5. Refine the preference as needed. If the theme is still broad, try adding conditions such as small spaces or beginner level. Revisit topic management as your interests change. Do not include your home address, identity documents or other unrelated private information in preference text.

The result is not an AI-generated report. It is a clearer set of interests and a recommendation change you can observe. Explain what you want, then see whether the control actually helps.