Meta's Threads is letting users be the boss of their own algorithm

• Meta launched Dear Algo on Threads for feed customization.
• Users can request that specific content be visible on Threads for three days.
• Threads' new feature highlights Meta's AI ambitions amid rising user engagement.

Threads, Meta's X-like social network, rolled out a feature that lets users tell the app's algorithm what they want to see more or less of in their feed.

The feature, called Dear Algo, works like this: you write a public Threads post starting with "Dear Algo," followed by a request, such as asking to see less about a TV show you're not caught up on yet, for instance, or more about your favorite basketball team during a live game. The algorithm then adjusts your feed for three days based on what you asked for, and you can delete that request if you want. You can also repost someone else's Dear Algo request to try out their preferences.

"We think we can do a better job by going deep with individuals on what they want to see more and less of," said Connor Hayes, Meta's head of Threads.

In a blog post about the announcement, Meta described Dear Algo as "an AI-powered feature that gives you more control over what you see by letting you tell Threads what's important to you in the moment."

Hayes also said that Threads will reject queries that don't meet Meta's recommendation guidelines or content principles.

Threads teased the feature back in December, framing it as a response to a trend Meta had noticed: people were already posting to ask their algorithms to change what showed up in their feeds.

For years, people have blamed algorithmic timelines for pulling users into echo chambers, rewarding rage bait over substance, and turning a quick scroll into doomscrolling. Dear Algo could give users back some agency.

"The best algorithms are personalized," Hayes said, adding that what works for one user won't work "at scale."

Dear Algo arrives at an interesting moment for Threads. The app now has more than 400 million monthly active users, and on its latest earnings call, Meta said time spent on it jumped 20% in the fourth quarter of 2025. A recent report from analytics firm Similarweb found that Threads had edged out X in daily mobile usage. And in January, Meta started running ads, a sign it sees Threads as a real business.

The feature also provides a glimpse into the company's broader AI ambitions. On Meta's latest earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Meta is working on merging large language models with the recommendation systems that power Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and its ad system.

The company's recommendation systems are "already driving meaningful growth," Zuckerberg said on the call. He added that "the current systems are primitive compared to what will be possible soon."

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