Meta has introduced the “Dear Algo” personalization tool on Threads, allowing users to directly guide the algorithm and customize their feed with targeted content preferences, marking a shift toward more transparent and user-controlled recommendations.
Meta Platforms has introduced a new personalization feature called “Dear Algo” on Threads, designed to give users more direct influence over the posts and topics that appear in their feeds.
The tool allows individuals to communicate content preferences to the platform’s recommendation system using simple, natural-language prompts. By publishing a post that begins with “Dear Algo” followed by a request such as seeing more content related to specific interests or reducing certain types of posts, users can temporarily adjust how Threads ranks and surfaces material in their timeline.
The update represents a shift from traditional passive signals, such as likes, follows, or hidden posts, toward a more explicit form of feed customization. Rather than relying solely on background behavior tracking, the system interprets written instructions as immediate guidance for the algorithm, enabling faster adjustments to recommended content.
Meta says the feature is intended to make the platform feel more responsive to changing interests and to improve transparency around how recommendations work. Users can also interact with or reshare preference posts, extending similar adjustments to their own feeds.
The rollout comes as social media companies face growing pressure to offer greater control over personalization and reduce unwanted or irrelevant content. In particular, users of Meta’s social networks have frequently complained about irrelevant, low-quality, or unwanted content being recommended, often at the expense of content from real friends and accounts they follow.
Across different social media platforms that rely on algorithms, customers voice frustrations about opaque recommendation logic which often promotes what keeps many other people watching or scrolling, not what individual users want.
Industry observers note that tools like “Dear Algo” could signal a broader trend toward interactive recommendation systems, where users play a more active role in curating their online experience rather than relying entirely on automated ranking models.
With the feature now live in select markets, Meta is positioning Threads as a platform that prioritizes customization alongside engagement. By allowing people to directly shape what they see, Threads aims to balance algorithmic discovery with user choice.
