Clean up social media algorithms: Step-by-step guide for all platforms

Scrolling used to be relaxing. Now it often feels chaotic. That is not a coincidence. Nearly everything you see on social media is controlled by algorithms that track what you like, watch, click and ignore. Over time, those signals get muddy. One curiosity click can reshape your feed for weeks. The solution is not deleting your accounts. It is retraining the system.

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10 SIMPLE CYBERSECURITY RESOLUTIONS FOR A SAFER 2026

How social media algorithms decide what you see

Algorithms pay attention to behavior, not intention. They track engagement patterns and repeat what keeps you scrolling. If your feed feels off, it usually means the algorithm learned the wrong lesson. Resetting your feed helps correct that.

Note: This article is written desktop-first (PC or Mac). When a step is phone-only or significantly different on mobile, it is clearly labeled.

How to clean up your Facebook Feed

Primary device: PC or Mac. Phone differences noted.

Use Content Preferences to retrain Facebook (PC or Mac)

Facebook’s feed is built around people, pages and groups you follow, plus recommended content and ads.

• Click your profile photo in the upper right
• Select Settings and Privacy > Content Preferences

From here, you can:

• Add people and groups to Favorites
• Snooze posts temporarily
• Unfollow accounts without unfriending them
• Reconnect with accounts you muted before

These tools are easiest to manage on a desktop.

Filter your Feed view (PC or Mac)

• To bypass the main algorithmic feed:
• Click Feeds in the left navigation
• Choose to view only Favorites,  Friends, Groups, or Pages

This shows content chronologically within those categories.

Hide and flag posts as you scroll (PC, Mac and phone)

On any post in your Facebook feed:

• Click the three-dot menu in the upper right of the post
• Choose Hide post, Snooze, or Unfollow, depending on what appears

Hiding posts and snoozing or unfollowing accounts sends the same signal to the algorithm. Use these options often. Facebook responds more reliably to repeated negative feedback than occasional clicks.

For suggested posts and reels, you may also see Not interested. Selecting it further trains the feed away from similar content.

Cut down ads and sensitive topics (PC, Mac and phone)

When ads appear:

• Click the X to hide them
• Or use the three-dot menu to hide or report

For deeper control:

• Go to Settings and Privacy > Settings
• Open Account Center
• Click Ad Preferences > Customize ads
• Select See All next to Ad Topics
• Click View and manage topics
• Click the topic name
• Choose See less
• Repeat this for every topic you want to limit.

To block specific words in comments:

• Click your profile picture (top right on desktop)
• Settings & privacy → Settings
• In the left column, click Profile and Tagging
• Under “Profile,” look for Hide comments containing certain words from your profile and click on the arrow next to it.
• Choose a list of words, phrases or emojis you want to hide from your profile and type them in the box.
• Click Save below it.

How to clean up your Instagram feed

Primary device: Phone only

Instagram does not currently offer a reliable, universal option to reset its algorithm. Feed control on Instagram is manual and behavior-based. That means the app learns from what you hide, mute, unfollow and ignore.

Tell Instagram what you do not want to see (phone)

On posts that miss the mark:

• Tap the three-dot menu
• Select Not interested, Mute, or Unfollow, depending on what appears

Use this consistently. Instagram responds more to repeated signals than one-off actions.

Fine-tune who appears in your feed (phone)

Visit accounts directly and tap Following to manage how their content shows up.

From here, you can:

• Mute posts or stories
• Add or remove Favorites
• Restrict interactions
• Unfollow the account

These actions immediately influence future recommendations.

Review account-level controls (phone)

Open Settings and review:

• Muted accounts
• Blocked accounts
• Close Friends

Cleaning up these lists helps reduce clutter and repetitive content.

When a new Instagram account makes sense

If your feed still feels off after manual cleanup, starting fresh is the most effective reset.

To do this:

• Log out and create a new account
• Follow only accounts you truly want to see
• Avoid mass-following during setup

Instagram’s algorithm is heavily influenced by early behavior, so a slow, intentional start matters.

Some users may hear about an Instagram “reset” feature, but as of now, it is not consistently available across accounts.

Fine-tune who you see (phone)

Tap the three-dot menu on posts to unfollow or favorite accounts.

From any profile, tap Following to:

• Add Close Friend
• Add Favorite
• Mute posts or stories
• Restrict interactions

Unfollow

Under Settings, review:

• Muted accounts
• Blocked accounts
• Close Friends

How to reset your TikTok For You page

Primary device: Phone only

Train the feed gradually (phone)

• Press and hold on a video
• Tap Not Interested

Consistency matters here.

Remove past likes (phone)

• Go to Profile
• Tap the heart icon
• Unlike videos that may be influencing recommendations

Refresh the entire feed (phone only)

• Tap Profile
• Tap the three-line menu
• Go to Settings and Privacy > Content Preferences
• Tap Refresh Your For You Feed
• Confirm

This resets recommendations but keeps your following list.

For a total reset, unfollow accounts manually or start fresh with a new account.

How to reset YouTube recommendations

Primary device: PC recommended

Clear or limit watch history (PC, Mac and phone)

On mobile:

• Tap You
• Tap the gear icon 
• Select Manage All History
• Tap DELETE

On desktop:

• Click your profile photo
• Select Your Data in YouTube
• Open YouTube Watch History
• Click Manage History
• Click DELETE

From here, you can:

• Delete today
• Delete custom range 
• Delete all time 

Remove past feed feedback

Primary device: PC or Mac

This setting is easiest to access on a computer.

• Go to YouTube.com and make sure you are signed in
• Click your profile photo in the upper right
• Select Your Data in YouTube
• Scroll to the section labeled YouTube Watch History and click the right arrow 
• Click Manage your YouTube Watch History
• Click Saving Your Watch History 

On the history page:

• Scroll down until you see YouTube Customize Your Feed Feedback
• Click Delete to remove past feedback selections

This removes videos you previously told YouTube you wanted to see more of.

5 TECH TERMS EVERY SMARTPHONE USER SHOULD KNOW

Continue training the feed (PC, Mac and phone)

On individual YouTube videos:

• Click or tap the three-dot menu next to the video
• Select Not interested

Repeat this on videos that miss the mark. YouTube relies heavily on repeated feedback signals. This option is not consistently available on the YouTube mobile app. Use a computer for the best results.

Reset subscriptions (PC, Mac and phone)

Subscriptions heavily shape recommendations. Unsubscribe from channels you no longer watch. Rebuild your list intentionally.

How to reduce noise on X

Primary device: PC preferred

Adjust interests and ads (PC, Mac and phone)

• Click your profile icon.
• Go to Settings and Privacy
• Click Privacy and Safety
• Select Content You See
• Open Interests

Here, X lists topics it believes you are interested in.

• Uncheck interests you no longer care about
• There is no “unselect all” option
• Changes must be made one by one

This affects both recommended posts and ads.

Adjust ad personalization settings (PC, Mac and phone)

This is where “Ads Preferences” actually lives.

• Click or tap your profile icon
• Go to Settings and Privacy
• Select Privacy and Safety
• Scroll down and click Ads Preferences

From here:

• Turn off Personalized ads
• Review Ad categories and disable what you can
• Turn off Ads based on inferred identity, if shown

X does not allow full ad removal, but these steps reduce targeting.

Train the feed as you scroll (PC, Mac and phone)

On posts or ads you do not want to see again:

• Click or tap the three-dot menu
• Choose Not interested, Block, or Mute, depending on what appears
• Also:
• Unfollow accounts that no longer add value
• Block advertisers directly when possible

Repeated feedback matters more than occasional actions.

When starting a new X account makes sense

X’s algorithm is less forgiving than most platforms. If your feed feels irreparable, the most effective reset is:

• Creating a new account
• Following only accounts you truly want
• Avoiding mass follows early on

Early behavior heavily shapes long-term recommendations. X offers fewer feed controls than most platforms, so changes may feel slower and less dramatic.

How to clean up Threads

Works on PC, Mac and phone

Control what appears in For You

• On the For You feed:
• Click the three-dot menu
• Mark posts as not interested, mute or block

Use Hidden Words (PC and phone)

• Open Settings
• Go to Hidden Words
• Add words, phrases or emojis separated by commas

These filters apply across Threads and Instagram.

How to make LinkedIn useful again

Primary device: PC recommended

Switch to recent posts (PC and Mac)

• At the top of your feed, click Sort by: Top
• Change it to Recent
• To make it permanent:
• Go to Me
• Click Settings and Privacy 
• Select Preferred Feed View
• Choose Most recent posts
• Click the left arrow to save

Reduce ad targeting (PC and Mac)

• Go to Settings and Privacy
• Open Advertising Data
• Select Interests and Traits
• Turn off categories you do not want

Aggressively train the feed (PC, Mac and phone)

On unwanted posts:

• Click the three-dot menu
• Select Not relevant or Not interested 
• Under My Network, review Followers and Following and unfollow accounts that add noise.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Social media feels overwhelming when it runs on autopilot. A few minutes of cleanup can dramatically change what you see. Algorithms respond to clarity. The clearer your signals, the better your feed becomes. You do not need to quit social media to enjoy it again. You just need to take control.

If your feed reflects your behavior, what does yours reveal about how you spend your attention right now? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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