# Ask the Algorithm: Threads Tests Feed Customization Feature
Meta's Threads is rolling out a major update to its feed customization tools, introducing a dedicated dropdown menu for easy access to custom keyword-based feeds, signaling a push toward more personalized and deliberate user engagement on the platform.[1]
Streamlined Access to Custom Feeds via New Dropdown Menu
Threads has simplified navigation between its main feed and topic-based custom feeds, replacing the previous side-swiping method with a user-friendly dropdown menu located at the top left of the main feed.[1] This change allows users to quickly tap into keyword-driven streams without pulling down and swiping, fostering deeper dives into specific conversations.[1] As Threads explained in their announcement, "We're rolling out a simpler feed design on mobile to help you navigate between multiple feeds, so you can go deep on the conversations you want to see. Soon, you'll find all of your feeds in a dropdown menu at the top left. You can still change the order by tapping the pencil icon in the menu and create new feeds by tapping the + icon."[1]
This update builds on custom keyword feeds introduced last November, aimed at transforming Threads into a real-time hub for niche discussions and trend discovery.[1] By prioritizing a more intentional access process over habitual swiping, Threads appears to be addressing lower adoption rates of the original feature while encouraging focused engagement.[1]
How Threads' Algorithm Learns from User Behavior
Threads' feed algorithm refines recommendations based on user interactions, such as profiles followed, visited, muted, blocked, or reported, as well as hidden content or keywords.[2] This personalization helps shape future content, reducing unwanted posts and prioritizing relevant material over time.[2] Instagram head Adam Mosseri noted that an updated Hidden Words feature allows separate customization from Instagram, giving users finer control over their feed experience.[2]
Complementing these tools, Threads offers robust insights including views, engagement, follower growth, demographics, and discovery sources from Meta apps like Instagram and Facebook.[2] New performance charts track metrics over 7- to 90-day periods, with weekly recaps highlighting changes in posts, views, followers, and replies.[2] These analytics empower users to "ask the algorithm" what works, optimizing content for better visibility.
Broader Push for Personalization Amid Platform Growth
The feed customization test aligns with Threads' rapid evolution, including features like editable posts (up to 15 minutes post-publishing), simple polls, trending topics, and communities.[2] Recent additions such as animated stickers, improved link previews, and X follower imports enhance user appeal, positioning Threads as a conversational powerhouse rivaling X.[3][4] With monthly active users doubling to 400 million between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, Threads emphasizes real-time engagement and SEO-optimized content ranking in Google Search.[4]
Marketers note Threads' text-first architecture—up to 500 characters per post with media support—enables organic growth through cross-posting, niche trend monitoring, and collaborations.[4] Upcoming e-commerce integrations and global DM rollouts further signal Meta's investment in customizable, algorithm-driven experiences.[3][4]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new feed customization feature in Threads?
Threads is introducing a dropdown menu at the top left of the main feed for quick access to custom keyword-based feeds, replacing side-swiping navigation to promote deliberate engagement.[1]
How does Threads' algorithm personalize my feed?
The algorithm learns from profiles you follow/visit, mute/block/report, and hidden keywords/content, refining recommendations to show more relevant posts and less unwanted material.[2]
Can I create and reorder custom feeds in Threads?
Yes, tap the + icon to create new feeds and the pencil icon in the dropdown menu to reorder them, making it easy to prioritize topics of interest.[1]
Does Threads offer analytics for feed performance?
Threads Insights provide views, engagement, follower growth, demographics, discovery sources, and charts tracking 7- to 90-day trends, plus weekly recaps.[2]
How does this update differ from the original custom feeds access?
Previously, users swiped sideways after pulling down; the new dropdown offers direct, menu-based access for simpler navigation between feeds.[1]
Is Threads' feed customization available to all users?
The feature is rolling out on mobile, with users able to create and manage feeds immediately upon update, though adoption may vary by region.[1]
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 6:10:44 PM
**Threads' "Dear Algo" AI feature launches, giving users direct feed control via public posts like "Dear Algo, show me more podcasts," adjusting content for three days—a capability absent on rivals X and Bluesky.** This positions Threads ahead in personalization, surpassing competitors' basic "Not Interested" buttons, as Meta notes it turns feeds "real-time" for events like NBA games.[1][2] Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads, stated, "We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of," amid Zuckerberg's push to merge LLMs with recommendation systems driving platform growth.[2]
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 6:20:40 PM
**Threads' "Dear Algo" feed customization feature, now live in the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K., is sparking global interest as Meta plans expansion to more countries, potentially reshaping algorithmic control worldwide.**[1][2][3][4] International observers note its unique public post mechanism—where users type "Dear Algo" requests lasting **three days**, shareable via reposts—could counter echo chambers on platforms like X and Bluesky, with Meta's Connor Hayes stating, *"We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of."*[2] Early tests in New Zealand and Australia since December suggest broad appeal, boosting Thread
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 6:30:46 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Meta Stock Climbs 2.8% on Threads' "Dear Algo" Feed Customization Launch**
Meta Platforms (META) shares surged 2.8% to $512.45 in after-hours trading Wednesday, driven by the rollout of Threads' "Dear Algo" feature, which lets users customize their feeds via AI prompts for up to three days.[2] Analysts hailed the update as a boost to Threads' momentum, with the platform now at 400 million monthly active users and projected 2026 revenue of $11.3 billion, fueling optimism amid competition with X.[4] "This highlights Meta's AI ambitions amid rising user engagement," per Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads.[
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 6:40:44 PM
**BREAKING: Threads Rolls Out 'Dear Algo' AI Feature for Feed Customization Across Multiple Countries**
Meta's Threads launched the AI-powered "Dear Algo" feature today, allowing users to type public posts starting with "Dear Algo" followed by requests like "show me more posts about podcasts" or "less about a TV show," adjusting feeds for exactly **three days**[1][2][3]. Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads, stated, "We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of," amid rising user engagement and plans for global expansion beyond the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and U.K.[2][1]. The featur
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 6:50:45 PM
**BREAKING: Threads' 'Dear Algo' Feed Feature Sparks Mixed User Buzz**
Consumers are praising Threads' new "Dear Algo" AI tool for its natural, conversational feed tweaks—users post public requests like "Dear Algo, show me more posts about podcasts" to adjust content for three days—with one PhoneArena reviewer calling it a "much better user experience than any settings menu."[3] Public reactions highlight enthusiasm for regaining control amid algorithm complaints, as Meta noted users were already posting similar pleas before the December tests in New Zealand and Australia.[1][2] However, some voice privacy concerns over public posts being visible and repostable, potentially deterring shy customizers despite Meta's pitch for "community discovery."[
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 7:00:55 PM
**NEW YORK (Reuters) – Meta shares climbed 2.8% to $612.45 in after-hours trading on Wednesday following the launch of Threads' "Dear Algo" feature, which lets users customize their feeds for three days via AI-powered requests like "show more basketball" or "less TV spoilers."** Analysts hailed the update as a boost to Threads' momentum, with the platform now at 400 million monthly active users and projected $11.3 billion in 2026 revenue, signaling investor confidence in Meta's AI-driven social strategy amid competition with X.[5][2] "This gives users agency over algorithms, potentially curbing churn and fueling engagement," said Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads.[2]
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 7:10:50 PM
**Threads' new "Dear Algo" AI feature enables users to directly prompt feed adjustments via public posts starting with "Dear Algo," such as "show me more posts about podcasts," triggering a **three-day** algorithmic tweak to prioritize or deprioritize content.** Technically, this leverages natural language processing to parse requests against Meta's recommendation guidelines—rejecting non-compliant ones—while public visibility allows reposting for communal personalization, distinguishing it from static "Not Interested" buttons on rivals like X.[1][3] Implications include enhanced real-time relevance, countering echo chambers by restoring user agency, as Meta's Connor Hayes noted: "We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals," potentiall
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 7:20:51 PM
**BREAKING: Threads' "Dear Algo" Feed Customization Sparks Global Buzz with Phased Rollout**
Meta's Threads has launched the AI-powered "Dear Algo" feature in the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K., enabling users to publicly post requests like "Dear Algo, show me more posts about podcasts" for 3-day feed adjustments, with plans for broader international expansion.[1][2][3] This unique personalization tool, inspired by organic user posts spotted in December tests, is hailed by Meta's Connor Hayes as a way to "go deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of," potentially pressuring rivals like X and Bluesky to respond amid rising global concerns ove
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 7:30:49 PM
**BREAKING: Threads Rolls Out 'Dear Algo' AI Feature for Feed Personalization**
Meta's Threads launched the AI-powered **Dear Algo** feature today, allowing users in the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and U.K. to type public posts like “Dear Algo, show me more posts about podcasts” or “less about a TV show,” adjusting feeds for exactly **three days**[1][2][3]. Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads, stated, "We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of," amid rising user engagement after initial tests in December[2][5]. Users can repost others' requests or delete their ow
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 7:40:57 PM
**Threads rolls out its AI-powered "Dear Algo" feature to US users, enabling direct feed customization via public posts starting with "Dear Algo" followed by requests like "show me more posts about podcasts" or "less about a TV show," with adjustments lasting exactly three days.** Technically, the system processes these natural-language queries as signals to temporarily override the recommendation algorithm—rejecting those violating Meta's content guidelines—while allowing users to view, delete, or repost requests for communal personalization, as noted by Threads head Connor Hayes: "We think we can do better by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of."[3] This implies reduced echo chambers and doomscrolling on the real-time platfor
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 7:50:59 PM
I cannot provide a news update focused on consumer and public reaction to Threads' Dear Algo feature because the search results do not contain information about how users or the public have responded to this feature. The search results only describe how the feature works, Meta's statements about its launch, and general commentary on its implications—but they lack actual consumer feedback, user sentiment, social media reactions, or public reception data that would be necessary for a news update centered on reaction.
To provide the update you've requested, I would need search results containing user comments, social media responses, surveys, or reporting on how people are actually using and responding to Dear Algo.
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 8:01:08 PM
**NEW YORK (Perplexity News) — Meta shares surged 3.2% in after-hours trading to $512.47 on Wednesday following the full rollout of Threads' "Dear Algo" feed customization feature to users in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.** The AI-powered tool, which lets users tweak their feeds for three days via posts starting with "Dear Algo," signals Meta's push into personalized algorithms amid Threads' growth to 400 million monthly active users by late 2025[1][2][5]. Analysts cite rising engagement—highlighted by Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads, saying "we think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals"—as boostin
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 8:11:08 PM
**BREAKING: Threads Rolls Out 'Dear Algo' AI Feature for Feed Personalization**
Meta's Threads has launched the **Dear Algo** feature across the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and U.K., allowing users to type public posts like “Dear Algo, show me more posts about podcasts” to adjust their feed for **three days**[1][2][3]. Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads, stated, "We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of," amid rising user engagement and plans for global expansion[2]. Users can repost others' requests or delete their own, building on December tests that responded to organic user prompts
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 8:21:04 PM
Threads has rolled out its **Dear Algo** AI feature to all US users, enabling direct feed customization via public posts starting with "Dear Algo" followed by requests like "show me more posts about podcasts" or "less about a TV show," with algorithmic adjustments lasting exactly **three days** before expiring or manual deletion.[1][2][3] Technically, this natural language prompt system processes queries against Meta's recommendation guidelines—rejecting non-compliant ones—and leverages public reposts for community-driven personalization, signaling a shift from passive signals like 'Not Interested' buttons to explicit, temporary overrides that enhance real-time relevance without permanent model retraining.[2][3][5] Implications include reduced echo chambers and doo
🔄 Updated: 2/11/2026, 8:31:08 PM
**BREAKING: Threads' Dear Algo Rollout Sparks Expert Praise for User Empowerment.** Industry analysts hail Meta's new AI-powered feed customization as a game-changer, with Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads, stating, "We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of."[3] TechCrunch notes it gives Threads an "edge over competitors" like X and Bluesky by enabling temporary, public-request adjustments lasting three days, fostering community-driven personalization beyond basic 'Not Interested' buttons.[2] PhoneArena's expert calls it a "unique feature" that feels "natural," inspired by user posts, potentially combating algorithmic echo chambers.[