Facebook Tips & Strategies

How to Reset Reels on Facebook

By Spencer Lanoue
October 31, 2025

Feeling like your Facebook Reels feed is stuck in a rut, endlessly showing you the same uninspired puppy videos or DIY fails you stopped caring about weeks ago? You're not alone. This guide breaks down exactly how to reset your Reels feed by retraining Facebook's algorithm to show you content you *actually* want to watch. We'll cover actionable steps you can take today to purge the old and bring in the new, curating a feed that's fresh, relevant, and genuinely entertaining.

What "Resetting" Your Facebook Reels Feed Really Means

First, let's get one thing straight: Facebook doesn't have a magical "reset" button for your Reels feed. When people talk about "resetting" their feed, what they really mean is retraining the algorithm. Think of it less like flipping a switch and more like teaching a new pet. You need to actively guide it, rewarding the behavior you want to see more of and correcting the behavior you don't.

The Facebook Reels algorithm is a complex system designed to keep you watching. It monitors everything you do:

  • What you watch: How long you watch a Reel is a huge indicator. Watching a video to the end (or rewatching it) tells the algorithm you loved it.
  • What you skip: Swiping past a Reel just as fast as it appeared sends a clear signal that you're not interested.
  • What you engage with: Likes, comments, shares, and especially saves are powerful signals that you want more content like this.
  • What you search for: The topics, people, and sounds you actively look up inform the algorithm about your current interests.

So, resetting your feed isn't about finding a hidden setting. It's about consciously changing your viewing habits to send new, clearer signals about what you enjoy. Over time, the algorithm will adapt and serve you content that better reflects your tastes.

Why Your Reels Feed Needs a Refresh

Does any of this sound familiar? Your current Reels feed is likely a reflection of your past interests, not your present ones.

  • The Content Rut: You watched a few videos about succulents two months ago, and now your feed is an endless jungle of plant care tips, even though you've moved on to bread-making.
  • Creator Fatigue: The algorithm has latched onto a few popular creators and now shows you their content constantly, pushing out other voices you might enjoy more.
  • Yesterday's Trends: You're still seeing month-old trends and audio clips, while everyone else seems to be on top of what's happening *today*.
  • Accidental Engagement: You accidentally watched a whole Reel about conspiracy theories or annoying relationship skits, and now your feed thinks that's your entire personality.

Whatever the reason, a stagnant feed can make using the platform feel like a chore. The good news is that you have more control than you think. By following a clear strategy, you can get out of this rut and rebuild a feed that feels fresh and exciting again.

Your 4-Step Action Plan to Fully Reset Your Reels Feed

Ready to take back control? This four-step plan systematically teaches the Facebook algorithm what you love and what you loathe. For the best results, commit to doing this actively for a few days. You'll start noticing a difference sooner than you expect.

Step 1: The Content Purge - Tell Facebook What You DON'T Want

The fastest way to change your feed is to start by aggressively cutting out the noise. Your goal here is to give the algorithm immediate, negative feedback on the content you're tired of seeing. Don't be passive during this stage, become an active curator.

How to Tell Facebook to "Show Less":

  1. When you see a Reel you don't like, tap the three dots (...) at the bottom-right of the screen.
  2. From the menu that appears, tap "Show less."
  3. That's it! Facebook will now try to show you fewer Reels like that one.

Be merciless. Do this for every single Reel that makes you roll your eyes, feel bored, or doesn't align with the kind of feed you want to build. Think of each "show less" tap as a vote against that type of content. Doing this consistently for a few scrolling sessions sends a powerful message that your interests have shifted.

Step 2: The Engagement Push - Reward the Content You DO Want

Telling Facebook what you dislike is only half the battle. Now you need to start sending strong, positive signals about the content you crave. This is where you intentionally reward the algorithm for showing you something good.

Actionable Ways to Signal a "Yes" to the Algorithm:

  • Let it loop. The single strongest signal you can send is watch time. When you find a Reel you genuinely enjoy, let it play all the way to the end and even let it replay again. This tells the algorithm, "This here. This is exactly what I want."
  • Go beyond the "Like." Liking is good, but deeper engagement is even better. Take the extra second to leave a comment, even if it's just a simple emoji. Share the Reel with a friend using the share button.
  • Hit "Save." The "Save" feature (the ribbon icon) is an incredibly powerful signal to the algorithm. Saving a Reel tells Facebook that this piece of content is so valuable you want to come back to it later. Make a habit of saving Reels that truly resonate with you, whether they're inspiring, funny, or educational.
  • Visit the Creator's Profile. If you really like a Reel, tap on the creator's name. This takes you to their profile, where you can watch a few more of their videos. This behavior shows the algorithm that you're not just interested in that one video, but in the creator and their style as a whole. Be sure to hit "Follow" on creators you discover and enjoy.

Every one of these actions is a piece of data that helps shape a better feed.

Step 3: The Search Safari - Actively Hunt for New Interests

You can't just wait for good content to find you, you need to go hunting for it yourself. The Reels feed is designed to show you what it *thinks* you like, which often reinforces old patterns. Stepping outside of the feed and using the search function actively introduces new topics to the algorithm.

How to Use Search to Your Advantage:

  1. Tap the search icon within the Facebook app.
  2. Search for specific keywords or hashtags related to your interests. Are you getting into pottery? Search for #pottery, #handmademugs, or "throwing clay on the wheel." Curious about historical Roman life? Search "ancient Rome facts."
  3. When the search results appear, tap over to the "Reels" tab to see video content related to your query.
  4. Now, combine this with Step 2. As you watch Reels from your search, engage heavily! Like, comment, and save the ones you love. Follow two or three new creators who are making awesome content about this topic.

Doing this once or twice is enough to inject a brand new "interest signal" into your algorithm. It tells Facebook you're actively exploring a new topic and that it should start factoring that into your main feed.

Step 4: The Digital Dust-Off - Clear Your App Cache

Sometimes, your app can hold onto old data that might lightly influence what you're seeing. Clearing your Facebook cache is a simple tech housekeeping step that can help when you're trying to make a big change. This action doesn't delete your account or any of your personal information, it just clears out temporary files, giving the app a small refresh.

How to Clear the Cache on Android:

  • Go to your phone's Settings > Apps (or Apps &, notifications).
  • Find and tap on Facebook from the list.
  • Tap on Storage &, cache.
  • Tap the Clear cache button. Do NOT tap "Clear storage" or "Clear data," as this will log you out and might reset more settings than you intend.

How to "Offload" the App on iOS:

iOS doesn't allow you to clear the cache for specific apps in the same way, but "offloading" achieves a similar result. It deletes the app itself but keeps your documents and data. When you reinstall it, it starts fresh with your data intact.

  • Go to your phone's Settings > General.
  • Tap on iPhone Storage.
  • Scroll down and find Facebook in the list.
  • Tap Offload App and confirm your choice.
  • After it's done, the button will change to "Reinstall App." Tap it to download a fresh copy.

Think of this step as a final way to clean the slate after you've already started retraining the algorithm through your viewing and engagement habits.

Maintaining a Feed You Love for the Long Haul

Once you've wrestled your Reels feed back into shape, keeping it that way is about forming healthy viewing habits.

  • Be Mindful of What You Watch: Remember that even passively watching content you don't enjoy is still a vote in its favor. If you find yourself mindlessly swiping through boring content, close the app for a few minutes and come back later with more intention.
  • Stay Curious: Periodically use the search safari technique to look for new creators and topics. Your interests naturally evolve over time, and your feed should, too.
  • Review Who You Follow: Every few months, go through the list of accounts you follow. If a creator's content no longer interests you, it's okay to unfollow. This helps keep your feed focused on what you currently find valuable and entertaining.

Final Thoughts

Changing your Facebook Reels experience boils down to this: you have to be an active participant, not just a passive viewer. By consciously pushing away content you dislike and rewarding content you love, you can effectively teach the algorithm to curate a "for you" page that's actually for you.

Just as a well-curated feed makes for a better viewing experience, a well-planned content strategy makes for a more successful brand presence. We built Postbase because we believe creators and social media managers deserve tools designed for the modern content landscape. Instead of battling clunky interfaces, you can use our visual content calendar to beautifully plan your Reels and TikToks, and our rock-solid scheduling means your posts go live exactly when they should, every single time. It lets you focus on creating the amazing videos that your audience wants to engage with, save, and share.

Spencer's spent a decade building products at companies like Buffer, UserTesting, and Bump Health. He's spent years in the weeds of social media management—scheduling posts, analyzing performance, coordinating teams. At Postbase, he's building tools to automate the busywork so you can focus on creating great content.

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