Social Rocket
Facebook is introducing direct control over its recommendations via free text. Users can add or exclude topics for their Feed and Reels under "Your Algorithm". On 13October 2026, Meta announced that recommendations should respond to such input within the same session.
From observed signals to explicitly stated interests
So far, Facebook has mainly inferred preferences from the videos people watch, comments and interactions. With the new Your Algorithm menu, a second type of information is added: users can describe for themselves which content they want to see more or less of. The feature is accessed via the three-dot menu of a post.
The existing "Interested" or "Not interested" feedback is also being expanded. Facebook can ask a follow-up question about what exactly they like or dislike about the content. Language models are meant to interpret these freely worded answers and adjust recommendations accordingly.
The user therefore does not write the complete ranking code themselves. Meta explicitly combines the new text inputs with the existing usage signals. The company does not publish how much weight an individual request receives.
What brands and publishers can take from this
For social media teams, the main change is that users can express their interests more directly and precisely. A clearly defined topic format may match such preferences better than a loose collection of interchangeable posts. However, this does not translate into a proven guarantee of more reach. At launch, Meta has not published any metrics on how the feature affects the visibility of business posts.
The difference between organic recommendations and paid campaigns is also important. Your Algorithm is described for Feed and Reels, not as a new switch for ad campaigns. The mechanics of Facebook Ads and Advantage+ Targeting remain a separate topic.
The change fits into Meta's redesign of its video surfaces. In parallel, the test of a Reels-centred home page is running. Additional Reels and algorithm controls have already been announced for Instagram. Such changes should be monitored separately in content planning: one concerns where videos are placed, the other the interests viewers explicitly state.
Not a fully disclosed algorithm
In its official announcement, Meta explains the free-text input, the new follow-up questions and a faster adjustment of ranking. The company does not promise full insight into ranking factors or an individual performance report for creators. The most important change is therefore more influence over recommendations, not a transparent explanation of every reach increase.