Meta Platforms has updated its Facebook recommendation algorithm to boost Reels use, adding a topic search filter as well as prioritizing same-day content, with a 50 percent increase in pushing Reels videos posted within 24-hours of user scrolls. In July, Meta said time spent watching videos on Facebook in the United States had expanded more than 20 percent year-over-year, and the company wants to continue boosting that number. Taking a page from the TikTok playbook, Facebook is adding topic search links to Reels displays to help users find material of interest. Facebook is also trying to accommodate user pushback against AI slop by urging use of a “Not Interested” button.

Changes also include adding “new friend bubbles” that indicate which Reels and Feed posts friends like, making it easier to chat instantly about mutual interests. Instagram has a similar feature — “small icons of your friend’s profile picture that float in the lower left corner of posts they’ve liked,” writes CNET, explaining you can tap the photo to start a DM.

The feature has another effect: “now, as you scroll through your feed, you’ll essentially see recommended posts from people you know,” notes Social Media Today.

“The feature could be especially helpful for Facebook Reels users, as there isn’t currently a dedicated Reels feed of your friends’ videos, unlike on Instagram,” CNET reports.

Facebook has upgraded its recommendations engine so it learns your interests quicker and shows newer and more relevant Reels. This was something users had been requesting, Facebook VP of Product Jagjit Chawla tells CNET.

On some Reels, users will see AI-powered search suggestions that make it easier to find similar Reels and explore specific topics, Meta explains in a news post. These are akin to the search suggestions TikTok displays at the bottom of its videos.

On Facebook, “AI-generated content, like videos created by OpenAI’s Sora or Midjourney, is treated the same as human-generated content when it comes to serving them in users’ Facebook Reels feeds,” Chawla tells CNET.

While Meta added optional labeling to identify AI creations on its social platforms, and also has its own labels, “AI detection is far from perfect,” CNET suggests.

“We’re also making it easier for you to tell us when you don’t like what you see. You can tap ‘Not Interested’ 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,” Meta explains.