If you want to reset the videos that Facebook recommends for you to watch, you can clear your watch preferences. This will remove the algorithmic bias that Facebook has built up based on the videos and live streams you’ve viewed in the past. Here are the steps to clear your Facebook watch preferences and reset video recommendations:
Open Watch Preferences
First, open the Facebook app on your mobile device or navigate to Facebook in your desktop browser. Click on the menu icon in the top right (on mobile) or click on the down arrow icon (on desktop). Then select “Settings & Privacy” followed by “Settings.”
In Settings, click on “Videos” in the left sidebar. Then click on “Watch Preferences” on the Videos page.
Remove Videos from Continue Watching
On the Watch Preferences page, you’ll see a list of videos under “Continue Watching” that Facebook thinks you’ll want to resume viewing. Hover over each video and click the “X” icon that appears to remove it from the list.
Clearing these videos tells Facebook you’re no longer interested in them, which will remove them from recommendations.
Clear Watch History
Further down the Watch Preferences page is your full watch history. Click on “Clear Watch History” to wipe the slate clean. This will remove all records of videos you’ve previously watched on Facebook.
Turn Off Future Watch History
While you’re in Watch Preferences, you can also turn off saving of future watch history. Flip the switch next to “Future Watch History” to disablewatch history tracking.
With watch history turned off, Facebook won’t use your viewing behavior to tune recommendations. However, other forms of targeting like interests, demographic data, and interactions with Pages/friends will still influence suggestions.
Remove Interests
In addition to your watch history, the interests Facebook has inferred about you also impact recommended videos. To reset these:
- Go back to the Settings menu and select “Ads.”
- Under “Advertisers and Businesses,” click on “Your interests.”
- Hover over each interest and click “X” to remove it.
Deleting inferred interests gives Facebook’s recommendation algorithm less data to go on, so videos should become more generalized for you.
Turn Off Ad Topics
You can also limit Facebook’s ability to target ads based on your interests:
- Back in Settings, click on “Ads.”
- Under “Advertisers and Businesses,” click on “Ad topics.”
- Toggle off “Enable ad topics.”
This prevents Facebook from using your interests to populate ad topics. Again, less data equals less personalization and more generic video suggestions.
Remove Liked Pages
Finally, the pages and public figures you’ve liked on Facebook also contribute to tailored recommendations. To undo these:
- Go back to Settings and click on “Pages.”
- Scroll through and remove any likes from pages related to video topics or creators.
Disliking relevant pages eliminates another signal Facebook uses to personalize your video feed.
Review Other Connections
In addition to the steps above, you can also review and modify other connections Facebook may use to customize recommendations:
- Friends – Unfriend people who frequently share videos you no longer wish to see.
- Groups – Leave groups that often post about video topics you want to stop receiving suggestions about.
- Location – Turn off location services for Facebook so your geographic area doesn’t influence videos.
Wait for Changes
Once you’ve completed the steps above to reset your Facebook video preferences, it may take some time for changes to fully take effect. Facebook’s algorithms are complex and incorporate many signals, so don’t expect your video feed to transform instantly.
However, over the next few days, you should notice the videos being recommended to you shifting away from your previous preferences. Give it about a week for Facebook to relearn your interests based solely on recent behavior instead of historical data.
Keep an eye on videos Facebook suggests as you scroll through your feed. If they align well with your updated preferences, great! But if you’re still seeing irrelevant videos, you may need to take a few additional steps like blocking certain pages or tightening ad settings.
Use Third-Party Apps Less
One other factor that influences the videos Facebook recommends is your activity in third-party apps and sites. When you watch videos on external platforms, that behavior can be reflected back in your Facebook feed.
To prevent this, try cutting back on using third-party apps that have integrated with Facebook. Watch videos directly on Facebook instead of through YouTube, Twitch, Netflix, Hulu, etc. This will give Facebook more direct signals to base suggestions off of.
Conclusion
Resetting your Facebook video preferences requires a multi-pronged approach. Start by clearing your continue watching queue, watch history, interests, and page likes. Turn off future tracking where possible, disable ad topics, and unlink third-party apps.
Give Facebook’s algorithm time to adjust to the lack of historical data. Be patient and consistent with interacting only with the types of videos you want to see recommended. Over time, Facebook will get the hint and your video feed will reflect your refreshed preferences.
So in summary:
- Clear continue watching videos
- Delete watch history
- Turn off saving future watch history
- Remove interests
- Disable ad topics
- Unlike relevant pages
- Review friends, groups, location settings
- Allow time for changes
- Watch videos directly on Facebook
Following these steps will reset Facebook’s recommendation engine and allow videos that actually interest you to start appearing in your feed again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing my watch history delete my Facebook videos?
No, clearing your watch history does not delete or remove any videos you’ve posted or saved on Facebook. It simply removes the record of which videos you’ve viewed in the past from Facebook’s logs.
What if I keep seeing irrelevant videos after resetting preferences?
It can take some time for Facebook’s algorithms to adjust to major changes in preferences. Be patient and consistent with only interacting with desired content. You may need to proactively block pages or creators who produce videos you want excluded.
Can I bulk remove interests or liked pages?
Unfortunately there is no simple way to bulk remove interests or page likes on Facebook. You have to go through and individually delete them. This is time-consuming but helps ensure only relevant signals remain.
Should I unlike pages for video games I no longer play?
Yes, unliking gaming pages on Facebook related to games you’ve stopped playing will help exclude those videos from recommendations. Be thorough and remove any non-relevant pages.
Does this affect videos I see on Instagram too?
Yes, clearing preferences on Facebook also applies to Instagram since the services share data. Videos you watch on Instagram feed into Facebook’s recommendations and vice versa.
What if I don’t see the option to disable future watch history?
The ability to toggle saving watch history on/off may not be available in all regions yet. If you don’t see this option, focus on the other steps like removing interests, liked pages, etc.
Should I unlike creators I no longer watch regularly?
Yes, unliking creators’ Facebook pages that you no longer regularly view videos from can help improve recommendations. Don’t feel obligated to keep liking pages that no longer interest you.
Can I clear my history without fully deleting Facebook account?
Yes, you can reset preferences, watch history, interests, etc. without having to fully delete your Facebook account. Clearing info is less extreme than deleting entire account.
Does this affect Facebook Watch recommendations too?
Yes, the above steps will also reset video recommendations on Facebook Watch in addition to your main video feed on Facebook.
Example Table
| Preference Type | Steps to Reset |
|---|---|
| Watch History | Clear continue watching videos, delete full watch history, turn off saving future history |
| Interests | Open “Your interests” and remove them |
| Liked Pages | Unlike pages related to irrelevant video topics and creators |
| Ad Topics | Go to “Ad topics” and disable them |
| Friends and Groups | Unfriend people and leave groups that post irrelevant videos |
| Location | Turn off Facebook location services |
| External Apps | Watch videos directly on Facebook instead of third-party apps |
This table summarizes the key preference types to reset and steps required for each one to help improve Facebook’s video recommendations.
The Importance of Resetting Watch Preferences
Having personalized video recommendations on Facebook can be useful when they accurately reflect your current interests. However, over time your preferences naturally change as you explore new topics and creators.
When recommendations grow stale and irrelevant, it harms the Facebook experience. You’re likely to keep scrolling past suggested videos rather than engaging.
By regularly resetting your watch preferences, you ensure Facebook’s algorithm aligns with your latest interests. This keeps your video feed full of content you actually want to watch.
Resetting also allows you to periodically “start fresh” and rediscover new videos based on recent behavior rather than historical data. Surfacing new creators and topics can reinvigorate your enjoyment of Facebook.
In short, don’t hesitate to clear your watch history, interests, and other preference signals. Keeping them updated will lead to better recommendations and a more engaging video feed.
Troubleshooting: Recommendations Not Improving
In some cases, resetting your watch preferences may not sufficiently improve the relevance of videos Facebook recommends. Here are some troubleshooting tips if you’re still seeing irrelevant suggestions:
- Be more aggressive about blocking pages and creators who produce videos you want to avoid.
- Limit Ad Topics to a narrower selection of interests.
- Temporarily stop using third-party video apps linked to Facebook.
- Double check that Future Watch History saving is disabled.
- Review friends and groups again for unwanted video influences.
Improving recommendations is an iterative process. The more signals you can clean up by removing interests, unliking pages, and disconnecting external apps, the better. But it takes time for changes to compound, so persist even if initial results are mediocre.
Think about narrowing your video focus to a few specific creators or topics you want to concentrate on. Flood Facebook with engagement about just those areas. This gives the algorithm less to try to analyze.
Stay diligent, keep making small tweaks, and you should be able to get Facebook’s recommendations back on track so they provide value rather than irritation.
Other Facebook Preferences to Consider Resetting
Beyond just video recommendations, there are a few other Facebook preferences you may want to periodically reset to improve your overall experience:
- News Feed Content – Clear cached news feed stories to force Facebook to freshly evaluate the ranking of all posts.
- Ad Interests – Remove irrelevant interests Facebook has assigned you to limit ad targeting.
- Advertisers – Reset the list of advertisers you’ve interacted with to clear ad preferences.
- Marketplace Categories – Remove browsed/purchased categories so recommendations stay up-to-date.
- Notifications – Adjust notification settings to disable unwanted notifications.
- Location Services – Turn off location sharing to limit geography-based customization.
Keep an eye out for any areas of Facebook that seem overly influenced by old historical data instead of current preferences. Resetting those categories will ensure Facebook stays relevant to the present you.
Conclusion
Facebook’s video recommendations often go from great to irrelevant over time as your interests evolve. Fortunately, you have control to reset Facebook’s understanding of your preferences.
Clearing your watch history forces the algorithm to recalibrate based on recent signals rather than outdated data. Removing interests, liked pages, ad topics, and external app connections further improves the relevance of suggested videos.
Allow time for changes to take effect, actively interact with desired content, and proactively block unwanted videos. With a bit of work, you can get Facebook’s video recommendations realigned with topics and creators you genuinely care about right now.
Don’t settle for a stale video feed. Take control by resetting your watch preferences regularly. Your new personalized picks will make spending time on Facebook fun again.