Meta is changing Facebook’s algorithms to improve the surfacing of Reels

Meta has announced an update to Facebook algorithms which may achieve something quite rare – actually surfacing content that people genuinely want to see. The change affects Reels specifically, and users are being given far greater control over what they see in their feeds.

As well as making it easier to indicate a preference for a particular type of video – or, indeed, express a dislike for others – the update makes it possible to prioritize displaying new content. This is not the end of the story; there are also new “friend bubbles” which Meta hopes will encourage users to engage in conversations about content on the platform.

Meta, predictably, is not shying away from artificial intelligence here, saying that AI-powered suggestions will be displayed on some Reels to help surface similar content. The company also seems to have listened to complaints from users about irrelevant or low-quality content being recommended as it says the latest update to the recommendation engine means that “it learns your interests quicker and shows you newer and more relevant reels”.

Announcing the raft of changes, Meta says:

We’ve invested in improving Facebook’s recommendations and product experience, creating a smarter recommendations engine that understands your interests faster. As a result, we’re showing you more of what you want to see, whether it’s quick clips or longer videos, creator vlogs, or DIY tips. As we shared in July, time spent watching videos on Facebook has expanded more than 20% year-over-year in the US. 

Facebook continues to be the home for all types of video, and our recommendations will help ensure you see fresher content in the formats you enjoy most, regardless of length. If you prefer longer videos, you’re in luck – reels over a minute make up a quarter of reels produced by creators with over 10,000 followers and over 50% of watch time on Facebook. Our recommendation engine is also now surfacing 50% more reels from creators published that day, so you see the newest content faster.

Other changes include improvements to the Save feature so it is easier to keep a collection of favorite videos. But perhaps the most welcome change is the option of hitting “Not Interested”/ Meta says that if you do this “on a reel or flag a comment that doesn’t fit the spirit of the conversation and the recommendations engine will respond to these signals, making your reels even more personalized”.

As well as surfacing more of the sort of content people actually want to see, Meta is also keen to encourage dialog and connection. The company says:

We’re rolling out friend bubbles on Reels and Feed so you can spot which reels and posts your friends have liked.  When you see a reel with a friend bubble in the corner, you can tap that bubble to jump into a private chat with your friends. So far, we’ve seen people enjoy bubbles as a way to discover what their friends are into, catch up over shared interests, and maybe even learn something new. Seeing likes from your friends has always been core to the Facebook experience, and we are continuing to build features – like bubbles – that bring us back to our roots. 

If you were wondering where artificial intelligence fits into all this, Meta has something to keep you sated. There is the promise that “AI-powered suggested search on select reels to discover more content about a topic you love, all without leaving the reels player”.

More changes are promised for the future as well, but Meta is remaining tight-lipped about what form these will take or when we can expect to see them.