A few months ago, my Facebook feed went a little sideways. A friend shared a couple of political posts, I paused on one for maybe three seconds, and within a week my entire feed decided to bombard me with endless politics. I was there to check in with friends/family and maybe see a cat video or two!
That experience made me curious. How does one post from a friend spiral into a flood of recommendations? And more importantly, can you actually fix it? I spent some time researching and testing how to reset the Facebook algorithm and retrain my feed. The good news: Facebook is way more responsive to your behavior than most people realize. You have more control than you think.
I’m one of the co-founders at Viraly, where we help creators and businesses manage content across platforms. Understanding how algorithms work is basically part of the job. But this wasn’t research for the sake of it. My feed had wandered off course, and I wanted it back.
Here’s what I found after testing multiple methods to reset the Facebook algorithm, tracking results for two weeks, and digging into what Facebook actually says about how their feed works.
How Does the Facebook Algorithm Work?
The Facebook algorithm is a recommendation system that decides what shows up in your News Feed and in what order. Unlike the old chronological feed where you’d see posts in the order they were published, Facebook now ranks content based on what it predicts you’ll find most valuable. Once I understood this shift, a lot of my frustration started making sense.
According to Meta’s Transparency Center, the algorithm personalizes each feed for over 2 billion users using machine learning. It’s not one system, but a combination of algorithms, classifiers, and processes working together. Kind of wild when you think about the scale.
The process works in four steps:
- Inventory: Facebook gathers all recent posts that could potentially show up, including posts from friends, Pages you follow, and Groups you’ve joined.
- Signal analysis: The system looks at thousands of signals about each post. Who created it? What type of content is it? How have you interacted with similar posts?
- Filtering: A lightweight model selects roughly 500 of the most relevant posts from your inventory.
- Ranking: Each post gets a “relevance score” predicting how valuable it will be to you. Higher scores appear first.
That fourth step is where things get interesting. Facebook doesn’t just predict if you’ll like something. According to their documentation, the system predicts how likely you are to comment, how likely your friends will comment if you share it, and whether the post might spark a meaningful conversation. I didn’t realize engagement was weighted this heavily until I dug into this.
This explains what happened to my feed. The algorithm read the political posts which were shared to me as “engaging” (because a lot of people were commenting on them) and served me more of the same. Makes sense when you think about it. The algorithm doesn’t really distinguish between someone who’s fascinated by a topic and someone who just paused for three seconds out of curiosity. Activity is activity.
Facebook Algorithm Ranking Factors in 2026
Facebook uses thousands of signals to rank your feed, but some carry more weight than others. I spent time testing these and reading what Meta has published. Here are the main ranking factors and what I’ve actually seen in practice:
1. Relationship Strength
The algorithm prioritizes content from people you interact with frequently. If you message someone, comment on their posts, or tag each other in photos, you’ll see more from them. Posts from your Favorites list (you can add up to 30 people or Pages) always appear higher.
I tested this by actively engaging with a few friends whose posts I’d been missing. Within three days, their content started appearing near the top of my feed again. That responsiveness is actually encouraging. It means you can actively shape who shows up, which is exactly what I needed.
2. Engagement Quality
Not all engagement is equal, and honestly this surprised me. Facebook explicitly values thoughtful comments, replies, and shares over simple likes. Saves are particularly strong signals because they indicate content worth returning to.
The algorithm cares less about low-effort reactions and more about actions that show genuine intent. A long comment matters more than a quick thumbs up. Once I started paying attention to this, I noticed the posts that reached me most were the ones with actual conversations in the comments, not just hundreds of likes. Worth keeping in mind if you’re creating content.
3. Content Type and Watch Time
For video content (especially Reels), watch time and completion rate are major factors. Videos people watch all the way through get pushed to more feeds. As of mid-2025, all video uploads on Facebook are now automatically classified as Reels, making vertical video the default format. I didn’t realize this had changed until I started looking into it.
In October 2025, Facebook announced the algorithm now surfaces 50% more Reels from that same day, and Reels under 90 seconds get wider distribution across the app. That’s a significant shift toward short-form video, and it explains why my Reels recommendations felt more active than my main feed.
4. Content Originality
Facebook limits the reach of content that lacks originality. Reshares, reposts, and aggregated content don’t perform as well as original posts. If you’re creating content, this matters more than I initially thought. Original photos and videos with real value consistently outperform recycled material. I’ve seen this pattern across the accounts we work with at Viraly.
5. Recommended Content
Here’s the factor that caused my whole problem: about 30% of what you see in your Facebook feed now comes from accounts you don’t follow. This AI-driven recommendation system suggests content based on your engagement patterns, similar to TikTok’s For You page. I had no idea it was this high until I started counting.
In January 2026, Meta launched the User True Interest Survey (UTIS) model specifically for Reels recommendations. The system occasionally asks “How well does this video match your interests?” to refine its predictions. Actually kind of helpful when it pops up.
This is what got my feed off track. The algorithm read my brief pauses on a couple of posts as genuine interest and started recommending similar content from pages I’d never followed. Once I understood that, the fix became obvious. I didn’t need to fight the algorithm. I just needed to teach it what I actually wanted (which was, again, prank videos and family photos).
How to Reset Facebook Algorithm (Step-by-Step)
Unlike Instagram, Facebook doesn’t have a single “reset” button that wipes your feed preferences clean. I wish it did. But you can effectively retrain the algorithm through a combination of actions. Here’s the method that worked for me:
Step 1: Clear Your Activity History
Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Your Activity → Activity Log. Here you can review and delete old interactions, including likes, reactions, and comments that no longer reflect your interests.
I went through and removed reactions from posts that no longer reflected my interests. A bit tedious, but it cleared out the stale signals the algorithm was relying on. Think of it as giving the algorithm a cleaner starting point.
Step 2: Use Content Preferences
Click your profile picture in the top right, then go to Settings & privacy → Content preferences. This panel has two sections that give you direct control over your feed, and honestly I wish I’d found this sooner.
What You See:
- Political content: You can limit how much political content from Pages, groups, and recommended sources shows up in your feed. Since political posts kicked off this whole feed adventure, this was the first thing I adjusted. Immediate difference.
- Sensitive content: Control how much potentially sensitive content you see in recommendations.
Who You See:
- Favorites: Add up to 30 people or Pages whose posts you always want to see first. I added family members and close friends, and their updates started appearing at the top. This felt like getting my old feed back.
- Snooze: Pause posts from specific people, Pages, or Groups for 30 days without unfollowing. Useful when you need a break from someone without making it permanent.
- Unfollow people and groups: Stop seeing posts from someone while remaining friends.
- Reconnect: Start seeing posts again from people you previously unfollowed.
Step 3: Use “Not Interested” Actively
When you see unwanted content, tap the three dots (⋯) in the top right corner and select “Not interested” or “Hide post.” This directly tells the algorithm what you don’t want to see. I cannot stress enough how effective this is.
I did this consistently for about a week. Every time something showed up that didn’t belong in my feed, I hit “Not interested.” The results were noticeable within 3-4 days. It felt like I was actually having a conversation with the algorithm, and it was listening.
Step 4: Actively Engage With Content You Want
This is the piece most people miss, and I almost did too. You can’t just remove unwanted content. You need to actively engage with what you do want to see. Like photos from family. Comment on updates from friends. Save posts about topics you care about.
The algorithm learns from positive signals too. Each meaningful interaction teaches it what to show you more of. I started being intentional about this, and it made the reset work faster than just clicking “Not interested” alone.
Step 5: Clear Your Search History
Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Your Activity → Search History → Clear Searches. Your past searches influence what Facebook recommends. I didn’t realize how much my old searches were affecting my feed until I cleared them. Wiping this gives the algorithm fewer signals to work with and helps it start fresh.
How to Reset Facebook Feed
If your main News Feed specifically needs work (rather than Reels or Marketplace), here’s a targeted approach that worked for me:
Switch to the Following feed temporarily. Facebook offers different feed views. At the top of your feed, you can switch from “Home” to “Following” or specific tabs like “Favorites,” “Friends,” “Groups,” or “Pages.” The Following feed shows posts chronologically from people you follow, with no algorithmic ranking. It’s like a palate cleanser.
I used this for a few days while retraining my main feed. It helped me identify which friends I actually wanted to hear from, and I used that insight to update my Favorites list. Ended up being a helpful exercise.
Unfollow strategically. You can unfollow people without unfriending them. If someone regularly posts content that doesn’t match what you want in your feed, unfollowing keeps you connected without the noise. I did this for a handful of people and it made a noticeable difference right away.
Limit recommended content. In Settings, you can reduce the amount of suggested content from accounts you don’t follow. Look for options under Content Preferences to adjust what gets recommended. This was key for me since the recommendations were the main problem.
How to Reset Facebook Reels Algorithm
Facebook Reels has its own recommendation system, separate from your main feed. I actually found my Reels were less problematic than my main feed, but if yours needs work, here’s what to focus on:
Use “Not Interested” on individual Reels. When watching Reels, tap the three dots and select “Not interested.” This feedback is weighted heavily for Reels recommendations. I noticed changes faster with Reels than with my main feed, probably because watch time is such a strong signal.
Be intentional about watch time. The Reels algorithm pays close attention to what you watch. If you don’t want to see certain content, scroll past it quickly (within the first second). If you do want more of something, watch it all the way through. This sounds simple but it really works. The algorithm is watching your watch time closely.
Search for topics you like. Searching for specific topics or hashtags on Facebook influences what shows up in your Reels. If you want more cooking content, search for cooking and engage with those results. I did this for a few topics I actually cared about and saw them start appearing within days.
Reels typically takes about 1-2 weeks to fully adjust. It’s a separate system learning at its own pace, so be patient and consistent with your feedback.
How to Reset Facebook Marketplace Algorithm
Marketplace has its own algorithm too. I ran into this when I searched for a couch once and then saw nothing but furniture for weeks. If you’re stuck seeing irrelevant listings, here’s what helped me:
Clear your search history. Your Marketplace searches directly influence what listings appear. Clear these in your Activity Log. I was surprised how much old searches were affecting what I saw. Once I cleared them, the variety of listings improved immediately.
Search for new categories. Active searches override old patterns. If you want to see different types of listings, search for those categories directly. The algorithm pays attention to recent behavior, so new searches quickly shift what you see.
Use the “Hide this” option. On any listing, tap the three dots and hide it. This tells the algorithm you’re not interested in that type of item. I did this for about a week with furniture listings and they eventually stopped dominating my Marketplace.
My Two-Week Reset Experiment
I tracked my feed for two weeks after implementing these changes. Here’s what actually happened:
Days 1-3: The most noticeable change came from unfollowing a handful of people and adding family to Favorites. Their posts immediately appeared at the top. The off-topic recommendations were already tapering off. Encouraging start.
Days 4-7: The “Not Interested” feedback started kicking in. I was clicking it every time I saw content I didn’t want. By day 5, the recommended content from random pages had dropped significantly. This is when I started feeling like I was getting somewhere.
Days 8-14: My feed felt noticeably different. More updates from friends and family. Fewer random recommendations from strangers. The algorithm had clearly learned from my consistent feedback. It actually felt like my feed again.
The most surprising discovery: it doesn’t take dramatic action. I didn’t need to unfollow everyone or delete my account. Consistent, intentional signals over about two weeks reshaped my entire experience. That was reassuring.
One small setback worth mentioning. Around day 6, I got curious about a comment thread on a post I’d normally scroll past. Just a few minutes of reading replies. The next day, similar content was back in my recommendations. That taught me something useful: the algorithm never stops learning. Even a few minutes of engagement registers. After that, I became more intentional about where I spent my attention.
3 Myths About the Facebook Algorithm
While testing, I ran into a lot of advice online that didn’t match my experience. Here’s what’s actually true:
Myth 1: “You can’t control what Facebook shows you”
This is the biggest misconception, and it’s completely wrong. The algorithm is incredibly responsive to your behavior. Every “Not Interested” click, every mute, every engagement counts. I went from a feed full of content I didn’t want to one that actually felt useful in about two weeks. You have way more control than most people think. I wish I’d known this years ago.
Myth 2: “Posting more gets you more reach”
Frequency doesn’t drive the algorithm. Quality engagement does. Facebook’s 2026 algorithm prioritizes meaningful interactions over posting volume. One post that sparks genuine conversation will outperform ten posts with low engagement. I’ve seen this pattern across accounts we work with at Viraly. Consistency matters, but quality beats quantity every time. This was actually a relief to learn since posting constantly is exhausting.
Myth 3: “The algorithm only shows content from big pages”
This was true years ago, but Facebook has shifted significantly. About 30% of your feed is now recommended content from accounts you don’t follow, which includes creators of all sizes. The algorithm evaluates content based on how engaging it is to similar users, not how many followers someone has. That’s actually encouraging if you’re creating content and don’t have a huge following yet.
Tips for Getting Better Reach on Facebook
If you’re creating content and want to work with the algorithm rather than against it, here’s what I’ve seen actually move the needle:
Prioritize comments over likes. Posts that generate discussion get pushed to more feeds. Ask questions. Invite opinions. Make it easy for people to respond. I’ve noticed my posts that ask a genuine question outperform the ones that are just statements, even when the statement is more polished.
Lean into Reels. Facebook is aggressively promoting short-form video. The October 2025 update gave same-day Reels 50% more distribution. If you’re not experimenting with vertical video, you’re missing the platform’s current priority. I was skeptical of this at first, but the reach difference is real.
Post when your audience is active. Timing still matters. Early engagement signals to the algorithm that your content is worth showing to more people. Check your Page Insights to see when your followers are online. I found my sweet spots and it made a noticeable difference.
Create original content. Reshares and reposts get limited distribution. Original photos, videos, and written posts consistently outperform aggregated content. This is one of those things that sounds obvious but I’ve watched people ignore it and wonder why their reach is low.
Encourage saves. When someone saves your post, it’s a strong signal that the content has lasting value. Create posts worth coming back to. This is something I didn’t think about until I saw how much weight saves carry in the algorithm.
Tracking If Your Reset Is Working
How do you know if your reset efforts are paying off? Here’s what I looked for, and you can too:
Content from Favorites appears first. If you’ve set up your Favorites list, those posts should consistently show at the top of your feed. This was my first indicator that things were working.
Less recommended content from strangers. The random pages and accounts you never followed should gradually decrease as the algorithm learns your preferences. I counted these for a few days and watched the number drop.
More posts from people you engage with. Friends you’ve been commenting on or messaging should appear more frequently. This started happening around day 4 for me.
Reels match your interests. If you’ve been training your Reels feed, the content should start reflecting topics you’ve engaged with. My Reels actually got pretty good after about a week of intentional training.
For creators, check your Page Insights. Look at reach per post and engagement rate. If your reset efforts are working, you should see your content reaching more of your existing followers. The data doesn’t lie.
Tools That Help You Stay Consistent
The biggest challenge with resetting the algorithm isn’t the reset itself. It’s staying consistent afterward. The algorithm is always learning, and every session matters. That setback on day 6 taught me this the hard way.
If you’re managing multiple pages or trying to post consistently across platforms, a scheduling tool can help. At Viraly, we built exactly this: a way to schedule posts, track what’s working, and stay consistent without logging in every day. The analytics help you see which posts generate engagement so you can do more of what works.
But honestly, the algorithm reset itself is manual work. No tool can click “Not Interested” for you. The real key is building habits around intentional engagement. Once I made it a habit to spend the first few seconds of each scroll deciding what to engage with versus what to skip, the whole process became almost automatic.
Your Feed Is Trainable
If you’ve been wondering how to reset facebook algorithm preferences, the key takeaway is this: there’s no single button, but consistent action works. The Facebook algorithm isn’t a mysterious black box working against you. It’s a learning system that responds to what you tell it.
When I started this reset, my feed was full of content I didn’t ask for. Two weeks later, it looked completely different. Not because Facebook changed, but because I was more intentional about the signals I was sending. That realization was actually empowering.
The algorithm is trainable. That’s genuinely good news. It means you don’t have to accept a feed that frustrates you. A few consistent actions over a couple of weeks can reshape your entire experience.
Start with the Favorites list and the “Not Interested” button. Those two tools alone will make a noticeable difference within days. Then stay consistent with your engagement, and your feed will follow. I got my feed back, and you can too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to reset the Facebook algorithm?
Based on my testing, expect about 1-2 weeks of consistent effort. You’ll notice changes within 3-5 days, but full results take longer. The more intentional you are with your engagement (clicking “Not Interested,” using Favorites, actively liking content you want more of), the faster it adapts. I was genuinely surprised by how responsive it was.
Can you completely reset the Facebook algorithm?
Not with a single button, no. Facebook doesn’t offer a full reset like Instagram does, which is honestly a bit frustrating. But you can effectively retrain it by clearing your activity history, adjusting Feed Preferences, and consistently using “Not Interested” on unwanted content. The result is the same: a feed that reflects what you actually want to see.
Why is my Facebook feed showing content I don’t want?
About 30% of your feed comes from recommended content based on your past behavior. If you engaged with certain topics (even briefly), the algorithm assumes you want more. It also learns from your watch time on videos and your search history. This is exactly what happened to me. Use “Not Interested” consistently and clear old activity to retrain it.
How do I stop seeing political content on Facebook?
Click the three dots on any political post and select “Not interested” or “Hide post.” Do this consistently for about a week. You can also snooze friends who share a lot of political content, or use Facebook’s content preferences to limit it directly. The algorithm picks up on this feedback quickly.
Does the Facebook Reels algorithm work differently than the feed?
Yes, they’re separate systems. Reels has its own recommendation engine that prioritizes watch time, completion rate, and trending content. You can reset it separately by using “Not interested” on Reels you don’t like and watching videos you do enjoy all the way through. I actually found Reels easier to train than my main feed. Recent updates mean same-day Reels get 50% more distribution than older content, so it’s worth paying attention to.