Scrolling through Instagram is like sipping from an endless digital fountain. You dive in for a quick glance, and before you know it, an hour has evaporated in a haze of oddly captivating cat videos, influencer reels, and ads for things you didn’t know you needed. Yet, for all its allure, the algorithmic wizardry behind the platform has its quirks–one of the most common gripes being the ‘stuck in a rut’ syndrome. Ever searched for a coffee table once, only to have your feed become a relentless furniture catalogue? Or followed a fitness trend only to drown in protein powder ads months after giving up on the gym?

For years, Instagram’s algorithm has worked as a hyper-efficient recommendation engine, adapting to user behaviour with pinpoint accuracy. This has been a boon for advertisers, who can zero in on audiences with laser precision, and for users, who get a feed seemingly tailored just for them. But perfection isn’t always welcome. The same precision that makes Instagram feel personal can also trap users in a loop of repetitive content–filter bubbles that grow stale, uninspiring, and frustrating.

Enter Instagram’s latest announcement: a reset button for its content recommendations. The update is designed for those who feel the platform’s suggestions no longer align with their interests. By resetting recommendations, users effectively start fresh, retraining the app’s algorithm to reflect their preferences across the Explore page, home feed, and Reels tab.

With a simple click, users can now clear their algorithmic slate, wiping away months or even years of accumulated preferences. It’s the digital equivalent of moving to a new city and reintroducing yourself as the cooler, more interesting version of you. But like all fresh starts, this one comes with its share of challenges and opportunities–for users, for advertisers, and for Instagram itself.

Instagram isn’t the first platform to take this plunge. TikTok introduced a similar feature last year, offering users a way to reset their ‘For You’ page and reinvigorate their scrolling habits. But while TikTok’s algorithm is famous for its near-instant recalibration, Instagram’s ecosystem is more complex, deeply entwined with advertisers who rely on its precision targeting to deliver ROI. With this new feature, Instagram is walking a fine line between empowering its users and keeping its advertisers happy–a balancing act that could redefine the future of social media engagement.

So, what does this reset button really mean? Is it a liberating, fresh start for users or a temporary disruption for advertisers? Does it signal a genuine shift toward digital transparency or simply a clever PR play? To answer these questions, we turned to industry experts who shared their insights on the reset feature’s impact on user experience, advertiser strategies, and ethical considerations.

As we peel back the layers of this seemingly simple feature, one thing becomes clear: the reset button is more than just a tool–it’s a statement. Let’s dive deeper into what it means for everyone involved.

The algorithm: A digital matchmaker

Instagram’s algorithm is the engine behind every scroll, like, and share. It’s a tireless assistant for users and a revenue-driving force for advertisers. For users, it creates a curated feed of personalised content; for advertisers, it delivers insights that power hyper-targeted campaigns.

Himani Agrawal, SVP at Hypothesis by OML, explains it as “a content recommendation engine that optimises user engagement and ad relevance in real-time. It’s a symbiotic relationship where users receive tailored content, and advertisers maximise ROI by reaching predisposed audiences.”

“From an advertiser’s perspective, this same behavioural data is used to segment audiences and serve hyper-targeted ads. Advertisers benefit from the algorithm’s ability to contextualise a user’s engagement history. For instance, if someone is following/searching/interacting with accounts that are posting about weddings, it will show you ads for wedding photographers, assuming you might be looking for one. This contextualisation makes campaigns all the more precise in reaching audiences that are likely to convert,” Agrawal further explains.

“Think of it as a matchmaking engine,” says Aditya Premani, Co-Founder & Head of Social at Social Pill. “For users, it introduces them to content they’ll likely love. For advertisers, it creates audience segments based on behavioral data, enabling hyper-targeted campaigns. It’s like hosting a party where everyone meets their perfect match.”

But what happens when the host has to guess the guests’ preferences from scratch?

A mixed bag

The introduction of the reset feature is a bold attempt to address content fatigue and algorithmic stagnation. With one click, users can wipe away the algorithm’s historical understanding of their preferences. It’s an enticing option for anyone tired of their feed being hijacked by fleeting obsessions or outdated interests.

“Sometimes,” notes Agrawal, “your feed gets hijacked by a recent obsession–say wedding planning or home workouts–and keeps feeding you more of the same when you’re trying to move on. The reset offers liberation, a chance to break free of those ‘filter bubbles.’”

Agrawal explains that the recommendations reset feature introduces a level of user control that fundamentally disrupts Instagram’s algorithm’s feedback loop. In the short term, the reset will flush the system of accumulated user preferences, essentially restarting the personalisation process. She says that this could make the user experience feel temporarily less cohesive as they start to receive content from their preferred influencers/family members while the algorithm rebuilds its understanding of user intent and interests through their interactions and search history.

“It’s like hitting refresh on your experience–liberating and personal, almost like rediscovering the platform. But the flip side is that it might create a brief period where the algorithm is out of sync, struggling to figure out what content works for you. This could affect engagement and overall satisfaction,” says Premani.

Jay Rathod, Founder & CEO, Koffeetech Communications, sees the feature as empowering. “Initially, content may feel less relevant, but over time, it builds trust by allowing users to redefine their experience. For Instagram, it’s a move toward transparency and adaptability.”

Yet, this freedom isn’t without consequences. For advertisers, the reset creates a temporary vacuum where user preferences are unclear. “The new feature discards preference data, creating a vacuum in content targeting,” Rathod continues. “Advertisers might face challenges in delivering precise campaigns, but it’s also an opportunity to innovate and engage broader audiences.”

Manjul Wadhwa, Founder of Anagram Media Labs and Inflyx, adds, “For advertisers, the disruption to top-of-funnel campaigns will be noticeable. However, intent-based targeting at the bottom of the funnel may remain relatively stable. The key is whether Gen Z, who values digital control, adopts the feature en masse.”

“For the industry, this move reflects a growing demand for transparency and user-centric algorithmic design. It may prompt competitors to rethink how they offer personalisation while giving users more input into their own digital experience. For advertisers, this could very well mean a waste of ad dollars as the algorithm readjusts to the user’s true interests and intent,” observes Agrawal.