It might feel like watching one horoscope video on TikTok will curse you with astrology content for a week, but you'll be relieved to know that the social media app is testing a new way to reset its algorithm with the push of a button.
TikTok's algorithm serves up content based on how you respond to videos, whether it's liking, commenting, rewatching or skipping a particular clip. This can make for a very "you" kind of experience on the app, although sometimes TikTok will go too far and pull you into a niche that you really aren't interested in.
So far, TikTok has attempted to combat the issue by offering the “not interested” button on each video so that you can directly communicate what kind of videos you don't want to see.
Now, TikTok is taking things a step further with an experimental reset button for its algorithm. TikTok floated this idea last month but LifeHacker reports that it's now being rolled out to some users, though not everyone will have it immediately.
TikTok's official announcement about the feature says that it "enables people to refresh their For You feed if their recommendations no longer feel relevant."
"When enabled, this feature allows someone to view content on their For You feed as if they just signed up for TikTok," says the statement. "Our recommendation system will then begin to surface more content based on new interactions."
TikTok says it's rolling out the new feature over the coming weeks.
How do I reset my TikTok feed?
TikTok's reset button can be found on the profile page. All you have to do is go to your profile, tap the three bars at the top right, hit Settings and Privacy and then scroll down to Content Preferences.
From here you'll be able to hit “Refresh your For You feed.”
It's unclear when the feature will be available to all users, so you might not see it immediately.
