Last October, Meta began testing a new Instagram feature that gives users more control over what appears in their feed. The feature lets users customize the platform’s algorithm by selecting or removing topics to better match their interests. At the time, Meta said it was exploring a similar feature for its microblogging app, Threads. And it’s now rolling out to users.
The AI-powered feature, called Dear Algo, is launching in beta for Threads users in the US, and it lets them personalize their feeds by specifying what they want to see more or less of. While it sounds similar to Instagram’s topic-based customization, its implementation is slightly different. Instead of selecting or removing topics from a list, Dear Algo allows users to adjust what appears in their feed using natural language prompts.
According to Meta, users can simply type “Dear Algo” in a public Threads post, followed by what they would like to see more or less of. For example, a user who wants more content about popular podcasts can type: “Dear Algo, show me more posts about podcasts.”
Your request shapes your feed, and others can join in
Once the prompt is shared, the feature adjusts the feed for three days, surfacing posts relevant to the request. Dear Algo also has a community aspect, allowing users to repost another user’s request and apply those content preferences to their own feed.
Users can view both active and expired Dear Algo requests in the app’s settings. They can also delete active requests to remove the personalization or repost expired requests if they want to apply it again.
Beyond the US, Dear Algo is rolling out to Threads users in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. Meta says it plans to expand to more regions soon, though it has not shared a timeline for a wider release.
