How Meta's Dear Algo Makes 'Your Algorithm Work For You'

Meta has cracked open the content black box.

In the age of doomscrolling, Meta is stepping up by handing the reins to the users by rolling out the Dear Algo feature on its Threads app.

Dear Algo is a highly powerful AI that helps users pick and choose what they see – and what they don’t.

“Starting today, Dear Algo is rolling out in the US to help make your algorithm work for you,” says Connor Hayes, Meta's Head of Threads.

“Personalising your feed should be an intuitive part of the experience, so we’ve made it as simple as posting what you want to see more or less of, right now. 

“Excited to see people try it and repost others’ requests to discover new conversations.”

Meta’s Dear Algo

Dear Algo, which has been rolled out in its testing phase, can be accessed by users simply by typing in Dear Algo within a public thread post, followed by a prompt saying what feed is of interest. 

It is also possible for a user to repost another user’s Dear Algo request and enjoy feeds curated to it. 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, before the launch, noted that the idea is courtesy of the users: “Inspired by all of you who started 'dear threads algo' requests, we're going to test a new feature where if you post 'Dear Algo' it will actually put more of that content in your feed.”

While it seems simple enough to use Dear Algo to customise your feeds, Connor says that some requests could be rejected.

“We will reject requests for a handful of reasons," he explains.

“The biggest two being that one, you asked for more of something that’s not allowed or not recommendable on the app and two, you asked for something where we don’t have enough content yet.

“Shortly after approval – ideally minutes – your feed will update based on your request. 

“Posts we show because of the request will have some text explaining that you’re seeing it because you asked for that content.”

Once the preference is shared and approved, Threads will show feed curated to that request for three days. 

Connor says that the three day rule is subject to change in the future once the team figures out what the ideal time is before the feed resets. 

“That said, if you engage with lots of the content that we show you, it should teach the main algo that you want to see that on an ongoing basis,” he adds. 

“If people repost your Dear Algo post, they will effectively be asking Threads for the same change”

AI for visibility choice  and personalisation

Dear Algo rollout is part of a wider push within Meta to strengthen users' ability to dictate their feed, instead of serving up a cocktail that may or may not suit the desires of the viewer.    

In December 2025, Instagram rolled out its AI-powered tool called Your Algorithm, intended to hand over the decision of what to watch back to the viewer. 

Signals generated when users interact with Meta AI are now used to personalise ads shown to users as well, speaking to a paradigm shift within the Meta ecosystem now driven by a goal of personalisation and user choice. 

Meta says in its post launching Dear Algo: “We want Dear Algo to make Threads feel more personal – whether you’re following trending topics or exploring niche interests.

“It’s another way we’re helping you find the latest conversations that are relevant to you. 

“Dear Algo is available now in the US, New Zealand, Australia and the UK and we hope to introduce it in more countries soon.”