Reset what you see on social media

Have you ever found yourself going down a rabbit hole online and suddenly all you see are gardening, hot rod, or political posts filling up your feed? Algorithms are smart, but they don’t always know when you’re ready to get back to your regularly scheduled programming. It’s time to reset your feed and take control of what you see. And hey, why not win an iPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence while you’re at it? ($999 value, no purchase necessary!)

Let’s start with a 5-minute cleanup for your phone and computer. First up, Facebook. Say goodbye to annoying ads in just a minute by filtering your advertising topics. Simply go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Center > Ad Preferences > Customize ads. You can also avoid random Facebook requests that could end badly, like one that cost a widow $40K.

Next, let’s tackle YouTube. If your niece has been watching cartoons on your account and now that’s all YouTube recommends, it’s time to delete your search history. On the YouTube app, tap You to bring up your History, then tap the cog icon > Settings > Manage All History. You can delete videos from today, a custom range, or all time to get things back to normal.

Looking for tech upgrades to save you time, privacy, and money this year? Turn off your viewing history on YouTube when you don’t want those videos in your algorithm, and set your video and search histories to autodelete. Now you can enjoy your favorite podcasts without interference.

TikTok is another platform that tracks your habits to keep you on the app. Every time you like, follow, or comment on something, it tells the algorithm you’re interested in a video, and more like it will pop up on your For You page. To reset your feed, open your Profile, press the three lines at the top right, go to Settings and Privacy > Content Preferences > Refresh Your For You Feed > Continue.

Fine-tuning Instagram is also important. While you can’t reset your Reels feed, you can nudge the algorithm in the right direction by adjusting your preferences for posts, stories, and accounts. And remember, most social platforms have options to hide or see less of certain things, so take advantage of that to steer the algorithm in the right direction.

Feeling inspired to clean up more of your digital traces? Don’t forget to wipe your browser history while you’re at it. And remember, your social media feed is carefully curated based on your online activity, so every post you engage with shapes what you see next. Be mindful of what you interact with online, as Big Tech is always watching and fine-tuning your feed based on your actions.

Before your next deep dive online, keep in mind that your every move online is being tracked and used to shape your online experience. Stay tech-smart and navigate the digital world with confidence. And if you’re looking for more tech tips and tricks, award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for staying tech-savvy on your schedule.

So take control of your online experience, reset your feed, and enjoy a clutter-free and personalized browsing experience. And who knows, you might just win that iPhone 16 Pro along the way. Stay tech-smart and navigate the digital world with ease.