Facebook Watch is a video service by Facebook that provides users with personalized recommendations of videos to watch based on their interests and what their friends are watching. Over time, the recommendations from Facebook Watch can become less relevant as your interests change or if you want a fresh start on your recommended videos. Fortunately, Facebook provides a simple way to reset your Facebook Watch feed and recommendations.
Why Would You Want to Reset Facebook Watch?
There are a few common reasons why someone may want to reset their Facebook Watch recommendations:
- Your current recommendations are no longer relevant to your interests
- You want to remove videos you’ve already watched from affecting future recommendations
- You’ve accidentally clicked on videos you’re not interested in and want to undo that
- You want a completely fresh start on video recommendations
Resetting Facebook Watch clears out your watch history and liked videos so that Facebook can start recommending videos to you from scratch. This can help renew your feed with new videos that better match your current interests and viewing habits.
How to Reset Facebook Watch
Resetting Facebook Watch only takes a few steps:
- Open the Facebook app on your mobile device or navigate to Facebook in a desktop browser
- Tap the three-line Menu icon in the top right (on mobile) or click the arrow icon in the top right (on desktop)
- Select “Settings & Privacy” from the menu
- Click on “Settings”
- Scroll down and tap or click on “Videos”
- Tap or click the “Reset” button next to “Watch video recommendations”
- Confirm that you want to reset your video recommendations
That’s all there is to it! Facebook Watch will now wipe your watch history and liked videos clean so that it can start serving you fresh video recommendations tailored to your current interests.
What Gets Reset?
Resetting Facebook Watch clears out the following information:
- Your Watch history – videos you’ve watched will no longer affect recommendations
- Liked Watch videos – any videos you’ve liked within Watch will be unliked
- Video topics you’ve told Facebook you’re not interested in
- Watch searches you’ve performed
Other Facebook data like your news feed preferences, friends, interests, and general search history will not be affected. Only your previous Watch activity is cleared out.
When Will I See New Recommendations?
You should see new video recommendations in Facebook Watch within a day after resetting. It takes a bit of time for Facebook’s algorithm to relearn your interests and start suggesting new videos tailored for you.
The next time you go to the Watch tab or view Watch on desktop, you’ll see a fresh set of recommendations based on your general Facebook profile data. Give it some time to learn, just like when you first started using Watch.
Does Resetting Work on iOS/Android?
Yes, the reset option works the same whether you are using Facebook on iOS, Android, or desktop browsers. Just navigate to the Settings menu as outlined above to find the Reset button for Watch.
Should You Reset Regularly?
There’s no definitive rule for how often to reset Facebook Watch. Some users find resetting every few months gives them a good content refresh, while others are happy resetting once a year or so. Consider resetting if:
- Your recommendations seem repetitive or irrelevant
- You’ve been inactive on Facebook for awhile
- Major life changes like a move or new relationship
Use your own judgment based on how relevant and useful you find the recommended videos. Reset as needed to keep your Watch feed filled with content you actually want to see.
Other Facebook Watch Tips
Resetting Watch is a great way to refresh your recommendations, but there are other ways to improve Watch as well:
- Like/Follow pages and friends whose videos you want to see
- Use the “Not Interested” button to remove irrelevant topics
- Share videos you enjoy so Facebook knows to recommend more like it
- Comment on videos so your friends can share videos you might like
- Browse video categories and genres to give Facebook insights
Combining resets with active engagement in Watch is the best way to make sure your personalized recommendations are actually personalized for you.
Troubleshooting Facebook Watch Reset
Resetting Facebook Watch is typically straightforward, but here are some troubleshooting tips if you run into issues:
- Make sure you have the latest version of the Facebook app
- Check that you completed all steps in the reset process correctly
- Log out of Facebook and log back in to force a refresh
- Clear cached data/cookies for the Facebook app and website
- Reset again if needed
If you continue having trouble resetting Watch even after trying the steps above, you can contact Facebook support for additional help.
Conclusion
Resetting your Facebook Watch recommendations is an easy and effective way to get fresh, relevant video suggestions tailored for your current interests. Do a reset whenever your Watch feed seems repetitive or irrelevant. Combine resetting with active engagement in Watch to ensure you see great video content from friends, creators, and publishers you care about.