Never see your friends' Instagram posts anymore? This 'reset the algorithm' hack will make your feed like 2016

cosmopolitan.com Sep 11, 2026

Never see your friends’ Instagram posts anymore? This ‘reset the algorithm’ hack will make your feed like 2016

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 11, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Instagram users can now refresh their feeds by resetting the algorithm through the app’s settings. The feature, accessed via the profile menu under “What you see” → “Content preferences,” allows users to clear suggested content and rebuild recommendations based on future interactions. After confirming the reset, the platform will prioritize posts from accounts users actively engage with, potentially reintroducing overlooked friends and diversifying the content mix. The tool aims to counter the echo‑chamber effect that has dominated the platform’s recent feed experience.

💡 Why It Matters

· By giving users control over algorithmic curation, Instagram addresses growing concerns about content homogeneity and social isolation.
· The reset option empowers users to shape their feed, fostering more authentic connections and reducing repetitive exposure to niche interests.

Apps Capsules

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If it weren’t for this Android Auto app, I would have been…

Akshay Bhalla recounts a near‑stranding during a 300‑mile road trip in a rented electric vehicle. He had neglected to fully charge the car and, after a series of detours, was left with only 10% battery and a range of 15–20 miles. While searching Google Maps for charging stations, he found the data unreliable. Fortunately, the PlugShare Android Auto app, set up beforehand, guided him to a nearby compatible charging point, allowing him to complete the journey safely. The incident highlights the practical value of dedicated EV navigation tools.

💡 The story underscores how specialized apps can prevent costly emergencies for EV users, a growing concern as electric fleets expand.

firstpost.com · Sep 13

Irked by secret recordings, programmer creates app to detect nearby smart glasses:…

A Polish developer, Pawel Szydlowski, launched the ZuckOff app to flag nearby Meta smart glasses by scanning their Bluetooth signals. The tool identifies the devices’ unique identifiers, estimates their distance, and can alert users even when running in the background. Since its debut, roughly 5,000 users have downloaded the app, motivated by viral videos showing glasses recording strangers without consent. The initiative arrives amid heightened scrutiny of AI‑enabled wearables, including Meta’s recent recall of glasses whose LED indicators were tampered with and the company’s claim that its cameras are visibly marked. Szydlowski suggests a broader ecosystem, akin to Apple’s and Google’s tracker alerts, could warn smartphones of any unfamiliar smart‑glass presence, offering a grassroots privacy safeguard.

💡 It gives everyday people a practical countermeasure against covert recording, turning a technical loophole into a public‑level privacy defense.

etvbharat.com · Sep 12

Google Health Officially Terminates Old Fitbit Logins: Here’s How To Migrate Your…

Google has discontinued the ability to log into the Fitbit app with legacy Fitbit credentials, rebranding the service as Google Health and requiring a Google account for access. The change was announced in the release notes for version 5.08 of the app, which is now available for Android and iOS. Google, which acquired Fitbit in 2021, had previously extended the migration deadline from February to May, giving users time to transfer their health and fitness data to a Google account. Users who fail to complete the migration will have their historical data permanently deleted. The update also includes minor bug fixes alongside the login overhaul.

💡 Users face irreversible loss of years of personal health metrics unless they act now, turning a routine software update into a critical data‑preservation deadline.

9to5mac.com · Sep 12

Indie App Spotlight: ‘Farwave’ lets you listen to radio stations around the…

Farwave, a new indie audio application for iOS 18 and later, introduces a unique 3D globe interface for exploring global radio stations. Users can rotate the virtual planet to select specific regions or utilize a random selection feature. Beyond live radio, the app organizes podcasts and local music files on separate visual planets, supporting RSS feeds, playback queues, adjustable speeds, and offline downloads. While the base app is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Farwave Pro offers advanced features for $2.99 monthly or $14.99 annually. The application does not support Apple Music integration but allows users to import audio files from their computer or the Files app. Each artist’s music is represented by a distinct signal within the interface. This release is part of 9to5Mac’s weekly Indie App Spotlight series, highlighting innovative independent software. The app aims to provide an immersive, visually distinct alternative to traditional audio players, emphasizing exploration and offline accessibility for diverse content types.

💡 Farwave transforms passive audio consumption into an interactive visual experience, distinguishing itself from standard streaming services through its unique 3D globe interface. This approach appeals to users seeking novelty and discovery over algorithmic recommendations.

ibtimes.sg · Sep 12

Meta’s Muse Reached No. 2 on App Store, Trusting It Is the…

Meta’s new AI assistant, Muse, entered the U.S. App Store on Thursday and climbed to No. 2 within two days, amassing over 83,000 downloads. The app, available only in the United States at launch, surpassed Meta’s earlier consumer app Threads in initial traction but lagged behind Meta’s own AI app, which drew 108,000 downloads on day one. Muse can perform multi‑step tasks—sending emails, booking travel, and coordinating schedules—while requiring user approval for sensitive actions and providing an audit trail. The app also offers a secure virtual machine and one‑time card numbers for purchases.

💡 Muse’s rapid ascent highlights growing consumer interest in AI‑powered productivity tools, yet its cautious design underscores the ongoing debate over user trust and data security in autonomous applications.

socialnetworkrelease.com · Sep 12

WhatsApp beta reveals Restricted Chat: sensitive chats stay on your main phone…

Meta has introduced a new feature called Restricted Chat in the Android beta version of WhatsApp, according to WABetaInfo. The tool is designed to keep sensitive conversations confined to the primary device, preventing them from being backed up or accessed on secondary devices linked to the same account. While still under development, the feature appears in the beta build and may later be rolled out to the broader user base. Restricted Chat aims to enhance privacy by limiting where messages are stored and displayed, addressing concerns about data leakage across multiple devices. The announcement was part of a broader coverage of social‑network updates by Social Network Release, which also noted its affiliate marketing disclosures and subscription options for readers.

💡 By isolating private chats to a single phone, Meta tackles growing user anxiety over cross‑device data exposure, a key hurdle for broader adoption of end‑to‑end encrypted messaging.