How to Reset the Facebook Reels Algorithm

Tired of seeing the same dozen creators or topics in your Facebook Reels feed? You're not alone. The algorithm can get stuck in a rut, but the good news is you have more control than you think. This guide will walk you through exactly how to reset and retrain your Facebook Reels algorithm, covering everything from gentle tweaks for a quick refresh to a full-on reset for a completely fresh start.

Understanding Why Your Reels Feed Gets Stale

Before jumping into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." The Facebook Reels algorithm is a learning machine. Its single goal is to keep you watching by showing you content it believes you'll enjoy. It learns your preferences based on a variety of signals, including:

• Watch Time: How long you watch a Reel. Completing a video is a strong positive signal.
• Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and saves all tell the algorithm you want more of that type of content.
• Interactions: Whose profiles you visit after watching their Reel.
• Skips: Swiping past a Reel quickly is a powerful negative signal.
• Audio Usage: If you tap the audio on a Reel to see other videos using it, the algorithm takes note.

Over time, the algorithm builds a strong profile of your tastes. The problem is, sometimes it gets too specific. If you spend one evening watching videos about baking bread, you might find your feed is 90% bread content for the next two weeks. This is a "content bubble," and escaping it requires you to send new, clear signals about what you want to see instead.

Method 1: The Quick Refresh - A Gentle Course Correction

If your feed is just slightly off or you've accidentally engaged with a topic you don't like, start here. This method involves using Facebook's built-in tools to gently nudge the algorithm back in the right direction without erasing all its learned preferences. Think of it as steering a ship, not rebuilding it.

Step 1: Get Familiar with "Show Less" and "Show More"

This is your most direct line of communication with the algorithm. When you see a Reel about a topic you’re tired of, it's time to act.

1. Tap the three dots (...) at the bottom right of the Reel.
2. A menu will pop up. Select "Show less."
3. Facebook will immediately hide that Reel and show a confirmation. This tells the algorithm, "I don't find this type of content, this creator, or this audio interesting right now."

Conversely, when you discover a Reel you absolutely love, you can tap "Show more" to see similar content. The key is consistency. Using these buttons for a few days will start to shift what you're shown.

Step 2: Actively Engage with the Content You Want to See

The algorithm responds to proactive engagement more than passive viewing. You have to become a decisive participant, not just a bystander.

• Be Generous with Likes and Comments: Don't just watch videos you like, interact with them. A "like" is a good signal, but a thoughtful comment is even better.
• Save and Share: Saving a Reel signals that it was valuable enough to revisit later. Sharing it is one of the strongest endorsements you can give.
• Watch Videos to Completion: If you find a creator or topic you want more of, make sure you watch their entire Reel. Replaying a Reel is an even stronger signal. Never let a video you like auto-advance to the next one, rewatch it once to solidify that preference.
• Use the Search Bar: Don't wait for good content to find you. Use the search bar in the Reels tab to look up specific interests, hashtags, or creators. Watching a few videos from your search results sends a powerful message about your specific intent.

Step 3: Mute or Unfollow Accounts You've Outgrown

Sometimes the issue isn't the topic but the specific creator. If an account you once enjoyed is now cluttering your feed with content you don't like, you have two options:

• Mute: If you want to remain connected to the account (maybe they're a friend or colleague) but don't want to see their Reels, you can mute them. This is a softer signal but can still help clean up your feed.
• Unfollow: This is a definitive signal. If you find yourself consistently skipping a creator's Reels, just unfollow them. The algorithm will immediately stop prioritizing their content for you.

Method 2: The Full Reset - Wiping the Slate Clean

If the gentle approach isn't working and your feed is completely overrun with irrelevant content, it's time for more drastic measures. This method involves digging into your activity history to erase the data the algorithm is using against you. This is the closest you can get to a true "reset."

Step 1: Perform a Deep Clean of Your Activity Log

Your Activity Log is a record of nearly everything you do on Facebook, and it's a goldmine of data for the algorithm. By cleaning it out, you're removing the old signals that have led your feed astray.

How to Find and Clean Your Activity Log:

1. Go to your Facebook profile.
2. Tap the three dots (...) next to "Edit."
3. Select "Activity Log."
4. Scroll through the horizontal menu at the top (under "Your Activity") and find "Logged actions and other activity." Tap it.
5. From the dropdown, you'll need to clean a few key areas:
   • Videos you've watched: This is the most important one. Tap it, and you'll see a list of every video you've viewed. You can click an individual video’s three dots to delete it or, for a faster cleanse, click "Clear Video Watch History." Confirm your choice.
   • Likes and reactions: Find this under the "Your activity across Facebook" sections. Unfortunately, there is no "clear all" button here. You have to manually go through and "Unlike" posts and Reels that represent topics you no longer wish to see. Focus on the last few weeks' worth of activity for the biggest impact.
   • Search history: Go back to the main Activity Log menu and find "Search history." Tap it and then click "Clear Searches." This removes another layer of data the algorithm uses for recommendations.

Step 2: Clear Your Facebook App Cache

The cache stores temporary data that helps the app load faster, but sometimes it can hold onto old preferences. Clearing it can help solidify your reset.

• For Android: Go to Settings >,, Apps >,, Facebook >,, Storage &,, Cache. Tap "Clear Cache." Do NOT tap "Clear Storage" or "Clear Data" unless you are also prepared to log back into your account, as this will reset the app completely.
• For iOS: iOS doesn't offer a traditional "clear cache" button. The most effective way is to uninstall and reinstall the app. Go to Settings >,, General >,, iPhone Storage >,, Facebook. Tap "Offload App" (this keeps your documents and data) or, for a cleaner reset, "Delete App" and then reinstall it from the App Store.

Step 3: Take a 24-48 Hour Break

After you've done the deep clean, stop watching Reels for a day or two. This quiet period gives the system a chance to process the changes and lets the old data fully "wash out." When you return, the algorithm will have a much weaker profile of you, making it more impressionable to new input.

Retraining Your Algorithm from Scratch

A reset is useless if you don't follow it up with intentional retraining. Your first few sessions back on Reels after a full reset are critical for setting the tone of your new feed.

1. Start with Search: Before you even start scrolling your feed, go directly to the search bar. Look up 5-10 creators, hashtags, or topics you genuinely want to see.
2. Go on an Engagement Spree: Watch several Reels from each of your desired topics. Watch them all the way through, like them, maybe leave a comment. This immediately seeds your algorithm with strong, positive signals.
3. Be Ruthless With Your Feed: Now you can start scrolling your main Reels feed. For the first few days, be extremely selective.
   • Immediately use "Show less" on anything that is remotely uninteresting.
   • Watch videos you like all the way through, and maybe even loop them once.
   • Actively engage with likes, comments, and saves on the good stuff.

Think of it like tending a garden. You've prepared the soil (the reset), planted the seeds you want (retraining with search), and now you have to pull the weeds (using "Show less") to let your desired content grow.

Final Thoughts

You have the power to curate a Facebook Reels feed you actually enjoy. By using tools like "Show less," actively engaging with the content you want, and performing a deeper reset of your activity log when necessary, you can effectively teach the algorithm your true interests and break free from a stale content bubble.

As creators and marketers, we spend a lot of time thinking about how algorithms see our content. For us, the challenge isn’t just consuming content but producing videos that resonate. Keeping up with what works on Reels and other platforms can feel like a full-time job, which is why we built Postbase. It's a modern social media scheduler designed specifically with short-form video in mind, helping you plan, schedule, and analyze your content across all platforms without the headaches of legacy tools built for a different social media era.

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