Threads begins testing swipe gestures to help train the For You algorithm

There are themes to help users improve the algorithm that populates the For You feed. It’s reportedly called Algo Tune because it helps people tune their algorithms. It’s pretty rare for a social media site, especially one powered by Meta, to allow users to adjust the parameters through which the awesome and powerful algorithm works, so this feature is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

It works a lot like Tinder and other dating apps. If you don’t like something in your feed, swipe left. If you like a post and want to see more like it, swipe right. That’s pretty much it. The algorithm is said to adjust over time from these responses, adjusting your feed to deliver more of the content you want and less of the stuff you don’t. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls it “an easy way to let us know what you want to see more of in your feed.”

For now, this is just an experiment, so the feature is only rolling out to a select number of Threads users. The company also hasn’t released any specific information about how all the swiping actually affects the algorithm, but that’s normal when it comes to these things. The algo must remain protected at all costs.

The social media app has certainly been busy lately, adding new tools at a rapid clip. Finally themes for all users, after . Meta too, which would allow Threads posts to the other social media app Mastodon. The company is also testing some features that allow users to .