How to Reset Instagram Reels Algorithm

Feeling like your Instagram Reels feed is stuck in a rut, serving up the same style of video over and over? You're not alone. The algorithm can sometimes get a little too comfortable, showing you content based on a few videos you accidentally watched for too long. This guide will walk you through exactly how to retrain the algorithm's understanding of your interests, whether you're looking to freshen up your feed or get your own content in front of a new audience.

Understanding the Instagram Reels Algorithm (Without the Tech Talk)

Before we start making changes, it's helpful to understand what's happening behind the scenes. Think of the Instagram algorithm as a hyper-attentive assistant trying to learn what you like. It doesn't have a personal preference, it just wants to show you things that will keep you on the app longer. To do this, it watches everything you do, paying close attention to a few key signals:

• How long you watch: Do you finish a Reel? Do you watch it more than once? The algorithm sees completion and re-watches as strong indicators of interest.
• Your engagements: Likes, comments, saves, and shares are explicit signals that you enjoy a piece of content. A save is often considered a stronger signal than a like.
• Your interactions: It looks at which accounts you search for, whose profiles you visit after seeing a Reel, and who you interact with in comments and DMs.
• Information about the Reel: The algorithm also analyzes the audio, video content, captions, and hashtags to understand what the Reel is about and find others like it.

The good news is there isn't a magical reset button labeled "Reset Algorithm." The good news? You have direct control over all the signals it uses. By consciously changing your behavior on the app, you can effectively retrain it to serve you a feed you actually enjoy.

Two Goals, One Mission: For Viewers vs. For Creators

When people talk about resetting their Reels algorithm, they usually mean one of two things, and understanding your goal is the first step.

1. As a viewer, you want to change the type of Reels you see. Maybe you're tired of dance trends and want to see more woodworking projects, or you've decided to cut politics out of your feed and focus on travel content.
2. As a creator, you want to "reset" how the algorithm sees your content to reach a more relevant audience. Perhaps you've shifted your niche, or you feel your videos are being shown to the wrong people.

These are two different goals that require slightly different approaches. We'll cover both, starting with how to clean up your personal viewing feed.

How to Reset Your Reels Feed (What You See)

If your discovery page feels stale or misaligned with your current interests, it's time to teach it some new tricks. This is an active process that requires you to be intentional with your interactions for a little while. The more consistent you are, the faster you'll see results.

Step 1: Get Comfortable with the "Not Interested" Button

This is your single most powerful tool for telling the algorithm what you don't want. When you see a Reel you dislike or are simply tired of seeing, don't just scroll past it - give Instagram direct feedback.

1. Tap the three dots (...) at the bottom-right corner of the Reel.
2. From the menu that pops up, select "Not Interested."

Instagram will immediately hide that Reel and show you a confirmation message: "Video marked as not interested. We'll show fewer posts like this from now on." The platform takes this signal very seriously. If your feed is filled with DIY fails and you want to see baking tutorials, aggressively mark every DIY fail as "Not Interested." Within a few days, you'll notice a significant drop in that kind of content.

Step 2: Go All-In on What You Love

Just as important as telling Instagram what you don't like is showing it what you do. You need to become an active, enthusiastic fan of the content you want to see more of. For every Reel that aligns with your desired feed:

• Like it immediately. Don't just watch and scroll on. Give it a heart.
• Watch it all the way through. Better yet, watch it twice. This completion rate tells the algorithm the content was highly engaging for you.
• Save it. Tap the bookmark icon. Saving content signals to Instagram that this video was valuable enough for you to want to return to it later. It's a much weightier signal than a simple like.
• Leave a thoughtful comment. Engaging in a conversation doubles down on your interest.
• Share it. Share the Reel with a friend or to your Story. This is another premium indicator of high interest.

If you're trying to pivot your algorithm from car content to cooking content, be the most engaged cooking fan Instagram has ever seen. Like, save, and watch every pasta-making video from start to finish. The platform will pick up on your new passion quickly.

Step 3: Update Who You Follow

The accounts you follow are a huge signal of your interests. Do a quick audit of your "Following" list.

• Unfollow old accounts. If you're no longer interested in a certain topic, unfollow creators who post about it. This removes a conflicting data point.
• Follow new accounts in your desired niche. Actively search for creators who are making the kind of content you want to see. Follow them, and then go engage with a few of their top Reels. This immediately injects a fresh batch of interest signals into your profile.

Step 4: Clean Your Search History

While a smaller factor, your past searches can quietly influence your recommendations. Clearing them gives you a slightly cleaner slate.

1. Go to your profile page and tap the menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner.
2. Navigate to "Your activity."
3. Tap on "Recent searches."
4. Select "Clear All" in the top-right corner.

This isn't a total reset, but it helps remove old, irrelevant interests from the algorithm's memory bank.

How to "Reset" Your Content's Reach (For Creators)

If you're a creator, your goal is different. You want to adjust what the algorithm thinks your account is about so it shows your Reels to the right people. This usually comes up when you've pivoted your niche or feel like your views have flatlined because you're reaching an audience that doesn't care about your content. Here's how you re-calibrate your Instagram Reels.

Step 1: Conduct a Content and Audience Audit

Before you change anything, you need to know where you stand. Dive into your Instagram Analytics.

• Identify Your Top-Performing Reels: Look at your posts with the highest reach, save count, and share count. What do they have in common? Is there a particular topic, style, or format that consistently resonates? This is what the algorithm currently thinks you're good at. To understand more about what's working, learn how to analyze Instagram Reels performance.
• Analyze Your Audience Demographics: Who are you currently reaching? Check your audience insights for age, gender, and location. Does this align with the audience you want to be reaching?

This data gives you your starting point. If your best-performing videos are from your old niche, you have work to do in signaling your new direction.

Step 2: Get Hyper-Specific with Your Niche

Vague content attracts a vague (or non-existent) audience. The algorithm needs to know exactly who to show your videos to. Instead of "fitness," narrow it down to "kettlebell workouts for busy parents." Instead of "food," focus on "30-minute vegan meal prep."

When you have a very specific niche, every piece of content you create reinforces the same message. This clarity makes it much easier for the algorithm to categorize your account and find your target audience.

Step 3: Sharpen Your Content Strategy and Hashtags

Armed with your specific niche, everything you post must now cater to that ideal follower. This means every video, caption, audio choice, and hashtag needs to be relevant.

• Create content for your ideal audience only. Stop making generalized content hoping to go viral. Make niche-specific content designed to attract the right people. This is key to optimizing your Instagram Reels for your target audience.
• Rethink your hashtags. Ditch generic tags like #explorepage or #viral. Instead, use a mix of hashtags that describe your content and your target audience. For a yoga instructor specializing in prenatal yoga, effective hashtags might be #prenatalyoga, #yogafortwo, #pregnancyfitness, and #thirdtrimester. For more tips, check out how to use hashtags on Instagram effectively.

Step 4: Be Consistent in Theme, Schedule, and Aesthetics

Consistency is perhaps the single most important factor in training the algorithm. When you post consistently about the same topics, using a similar style, you build a strong thematic signal.

Randomly posting a meme about your dog when your niche is financial literacy can confuse the algorithm and dilute your authority on your core topic. A consistent posting schedule also helps. It shows Instagram that your account is active and reliable, which can encourage the algorithm to push your content more regularly.

Final Thoughts

Retraining your Instagram Reels algorithm is less about a one-time "reset" and more about consciously guiding it over time. Whether you're trying to refine what you watch or redefine who you reach, the power lies in your actions. By carefully managing what you engage with and what you post, you can teach the algorithm exactly what you want it to know, creating a more enjoyable and effective experience on the platform.

For creators, this level of consistency can be demanding, but it's critical for teaching the algorithm who to show your Reels to. That's why we built our visual calendar into Postbase. Being able to see your entire content plan at a glance helps you stay on-theme and ensures every Reel, Short, and TikTok reinforces your niche. When you pair that laser-focused strategy with our ultra-reliable scheduler, you can be confident that you're consistently sending the right signals to the algorithm, even when you're not online.