Instagram is testing a new feature that will allow users to reset their feeds and remove algorithmically recommended content. This "Reset" tool aims to provide a safer environment, particularly for teenage users, and is expected to be rolled out globally in the near future.
Once activated, the tool will purge a user’s feed of suggested content, although Instagram notes that recommendations will gradually start personalizing again over time. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has emphasized that the tool will be available to all users, including teens, providing them with a safer, more personalized experience on the platform.
The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, has expressed approval of the feature but highlighted the need for further action to ensure online safety. Ofcom commended Instagram for making these changes ahead of the implementation of new regulations, underscoring the ongoing international discussions around online protection for young people. Recently, Australia has even proposed a ban on social media use for individuals under 16.
To reset their feeds, users can select "reset suggested content" from the “content preferences” menu, and will be asked to confirm whether they want to unfollow accounts that frequently appear in their posts. Meta has outlined that the feature’s goal is to help Instagram users—especially teens—have safer, more positive, and age-appropriate experiences on the platform.
This initiative is part of a larger push to ensure better protection for young users, as regulatory bodies worldwide work toward increasing online safety. Meta will have a three-month period to assess risks linked to illegal content and to take steps to mitigate them.
In a separate development, Ofcom plans to finalize its Children’s Safety Codes of Practice by April 2025, which will require social media companies to give children more control over the content they encounter online.
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