As short-form videos become ubiquitous on Facebook, the company now known as Meta is supporting its flagship app through an algorithmic update. Thanks to improvements to the Facebook Reels recommendation engine, users will have an easier time finding vertical videos that suit their interests and preferences.
According to a Facebook blog post, the new-and-improved algorithm “learns your interests quicker and shows you newer and more relevant reels.” New options within the Facebook interface will support that update. A “Not Interested” button will let the algorithms know when it missed the mark with one of its recs; in theory, those data points will increase the speed with which Facebook learns each user’s scrolling habits.
Other tweaks will also fine-tune the Facebook recommendation engine. “We’ve made updates to the Save feature to make it simpler to collect your favorite reels and posts in one place,” reads the blog post. “You’ll help Facebook fine-tune your recommendations with each save, resulting in a more tailored experience that we’ve seen lead to increased watch time globally.”
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Some new features, such as AI-powered search suggestions and bubbles that inform you when a friend has watched a Reel, will make Facebook look more like Meta’s other properties, especially Instagram. On the whole, however, the recommendation refurbishment is another change that brings a Meta-owned platform closer to the experience that is available on TikTok. As U.S. users of that app prepare for a new algorithm, Facebook is trying to replicate the recs that catalyzed TikTok’s rise.
That strategy seems to become more common at Meta HQ during times when TikTok’s operational status encounters hiccups. At the onset of the second Trump administration, when it seemed like Americans could lose access to TikTok, Instagram rolled out its version of CapCut, the editing app owned by TikTok parent ByteDance. Nine months later, there are many questions regarding the operations of a U.S.-owned version of TikTok, so Meta has another opportunity to win over aggrieved users.
Longtime Facebook users may chafe at the platform’s TikTok-ification, echoing complaints from Instagrammers on the same subject. To defend itself, Meta has always contended that its widespread promotion of short-form video formats like Reels is a response to user behavior. The latest blog post notes that time spent watching videos on Facebook is up 20% year-over-year in the U.S. Of course, with Facebook jamming Reels into every corner of its app, it’s hard to determine how organic that user behavior really is.
TikTok’s hefty market share undoubtedly influences Meta’s Reels-forward strategy, but the updated engine is more than just a copycat. It will also continue Meta’s effort to promote more original content amid a sea of AI slop. Post-update, the Facebook Reels algorithm will recommend 50% more videos that have been published within the last 24 hours. Hopefully, that will keep feeds fresh — and if not, the “Not Interested” button will get a lot of use.
