Instagram is building new ways to let you steer the algorithm on Threads, its fast-moving, text-first companion to the main app. Early code spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi points to a prototype that would let people tell Threads what they want to see more or less of—right from their feed—by tagging a dedicated account. Instagram confirmed the work is internal and not yet in public testing, but an account tied to the effort, @threads.algo, is already live and followed by multiple Meta engineers.
Here’s how it appears to work based on what’s been uncovered so far: Threads would show an explainer screen telling users they can tag the @threads.algo account to fine-tune recommendations in real time. Instead of digging through settings, you’d nudge the feed directly from a post or reply, signaling whether you want more of a topic or less of it. That approach fits Threads’ tempo, where posts and reactions move quickly during breaking news, sports moments, or cultural events.
The concept tracks with a broader shift across social platforms toward more explicit user controls. On the main Instagram app, the company is rolling out new tools that let you choose topics you’d like to see more or less of in your feed. In a recent demo, Instagram head Adam Mosseri showed a button at the top of the feed that opens a simple interface: select suggested topics to boost, search and add your own interests, or type in subjects you’d like to down-rank. The idea is to give the algorithm a better read on your changing moods and preferences. Maybe your favorite team is having a rough season and you’d prefer fewer football posts for a while—now you can say so directly.
This isn’t Instagram’s first pass at personalization. Alternative feeds like Following and Favorites launched in 2022 to give people more control, and Threads added a toggle between For You and Following in 2023. The new topic tools are part of a broader redesign that places heavier emphasis on Reels, DMs, and recommendations, signaling how central discovery has become across the Instagram ecosystem.
If Threads ultimately adopts the tag-to-tune model, it would reflect how text-based social apps already operate. Users are used to interacting through replies and mentions to trigger actions—from summarizing long threads to asking questions about posts. A tagging interface to adjust your feed feels native to that behavior, removing friction and making personalization more conversational.
There’s also competitive pressure to make algorithms more responsive and transparent. X, for example, has teased its own real-time customization, with plans to let users tag its AI assistant, Grok, to shape the feed on the fly. Leadership there has said the feed will be driven “purely by AI” by November, with frequent updates along the way. While approaches vary, the direction is clear: platforms want to give people immediate, visible levers to influence what they see.
External scrutiny has helped push this change. Years of public debate and congressional hearings have spotlighted the role recommendation systems play in shaping what teens and adults encounter online. In response, newer open social networks like Bluesky are experimenting with user-selected algorithms and flexible moderation, letting communities choose how their feeds are ranked and filtered. Instagram’s efforts land somewhere in between: keeping a central algorithm but layering on straightforward tools that let individuals guide it.
What’s next for Threads? The prototype suggests a path where personalization becomes part of the conversation itself. Instead of setting it and forgetting it, you’d continually refine your feed as interests ebb and flow—boosting certain topics, dampening others, and doing it all in the same place you post and reply. It’s an approach that could keep recommendations fresh without pulling you out of the experience.
For now, Instagram hasn’t shared a launch date or confirmed whether the Threads algorithm controls will ship publicly. But taken together—the new topic preferences on Instagram, the emphasis on Reels and recommendations, and the live @threads.algo account—the company is clearly preparing for a future where you actively co-pilot your feed. If it works as intended, you’ll spend less time wrestling with settings and more time seeing the content you actually care about.
