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The change gives users more visibility over the topics shaping recommendations and lets them adjust what they see more directly across both Reels and Explore.
Reels And Explore Now Share One System
Instagram says Reels and Explore are now connected through a shared recommendation system. This means that changes users make in one place are reflected across both surfaces.
Through the “Your Algorithm” interface, users can:
- See the topics Instagram believes they are interested in
- Increase or decrease specific topic preferences
- Influence recommendations across Reels and Explore together
- Adjust interests directly from Explore topic filters
- Optionally share their interest profile to Stories
The feature is accessed via an icon in the top-right corner of Reels or Explore, shown as two lines with heart symbols.
Source: about.instagram.com
How Topic Controls Work In Practice
Users can now actively adjust the content themes they want to see more or less of. Instagram applies these preferences across both Reels and Explore, which are key surfaces for content discovery on the platform.
In Explore, the topic “pills” at the top of the interface allows users to refine interests more directly without going into deeper settings.
From Reels-Only To Broader Discovery Controls
When Instagram introduced “Your Algorithm” in December 2025, it was limited to Reels and focused mainly on explaining and adjusting recommendation signals for short-form video.
The April 2026 update extends the same functionality to Explore, widening its role from video recommendations to broader content discovery.
Instagram says the feature is rolling out globally in English, with plans to expand it further across the app over time.
What This Means For Content Discovery
For users, the update makes it easier to understand and adjust why certain content appears in their feed.
For brands and e-commerce teams, the key change is that Reels and Explore are now more tightly linked through a single preference system, meaning content themes and audience interests play a more direct role in visibility across both surfaces.
As outlined in our previous coverage, this is part of Instagram’s broader shift toward giving users more explicit control over what shapes their recommendations, rather than relying only on passive engagement signals.
