Have you ever felt like you‘re seeing the same posts over and over in your Instagram explore tab? Do you want ideas for refreshing your feed to discover new accounts and content? If so, you‘ve come to the right place.
Resetting your explore page allows Instagram to serve up fresh, personalized recommendations tailored to your interests. In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn step-by-step instructions to clear your history and reset your explore page on mobile or desktop.
I‘ll also share tips as a social media expert on how creators and brands can effectively use Instagram‘s algorithm to reach new audiences.
Why You Should Reset Your Explore Page
Before diving into the how-to, let‘s discuss why you‘d want to reset your explore feed in the first place:
- Your current suggestions feel repetitive or stale
- You want to find new accounts, influencers, trends and topics
- You took an Instagram break and want to catch up on what‘s new
- Brands and creators want their content seen by more potential followers
Clearing your search history gives Instagram a clean slate to offer up posts you haven‘t seen before. Over 200 million users tap into their explore feed daily, so it represents a huge opportunity to discover or be discovered.
According to Jenn Herman, social media consultant and founder of Works Well With Others, "The explore page is the new home page – it‘s the best place to be seen by new audiences on Instagram."
As Jenn pointed out, getting on users‘ explore feeds allows you to put your brand and content in front of targeted, interested visitors who may convert to followers.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Reset Explore Page
If you‘re sold on the value of resetting your Instagram explore tab, let‘s get into the easy process. You can clear your history right from the Instagram mobile app or desktop site.
On Mobile:
Here are the steps to refresh your explore page on your iPhone, Android, or other mobile device:
- Open the Instagram app then tap on your profile picture
- Tap the 3-line menu icon and choose “Settings”
- Select “Security” then “Clear Search History”
- Confirm by choosing “Clear All”
You‘ve now successfully reset your explore page! The next time you visit it, you‘ll notice all fresh posts instead of the same viral ones over and over.
On Desktop:
Prefer to browse Instagram from your laptop or PC? Below are the steps to clear your data from a web browser:
- Go to Instagram.com and login to your account
- Click your profile icon then select “Settings”
- Choose “Privacy and Security” then “View Account Data”
- On the next page, click the blue “Clear Data” button
- Confirm you want to delete your activity history
Once your history is wiped, close Instagram and reopen it. You‘ll now see completely refreshed content recommendations.
Pro Tips to Get Content on the Explore Page
Beyond resetting your own feed, brands and creators can utilize Instagram‘s algorithm to increase the chances their posts appear on users‘ explore pages:
- Use eye-catching visuals – High-quality photos, vibrant filters, appealing color schemes perform best
- Leverage hashtags – Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags so you appear in search
- Encourage engagement – Reply to comments, like posts, host giveaways to drive participation
- Post consistently – Accounts that post daily or a few times a week tend to get boosted
- Promote posts – Pay to boost engagement with IG ads to land on the explore page
Here are some specific types of posts I often see on my own explore feed:
- Colorful food photos with clever meal prep ideas or recipe hacks
- ASPCA and animal rescue accounts sharing adoptable pet videos
- Small business owners showcasing new products
- Travel bloggers posting dream vacation destination reels
- Fitness influencers demonstrating workout routines
Cater your posts to these evergreen interests that capture attention to maximize your reach.
Let‘s Summarize What We Learned
We covered a lot of ground about the value of resetting your Instagram explore feed and how to do it properly. Here are the key takeaways:
- Resetting gives Instagram a clean slate to offer fresh, targeted recommendations
- Over 200 million users visit Explore daily – huge discoverability potential
- Simply clear your search history on mobile or desktop to refresh content
- Brands and creators can use pro tips to organically end up on users‘ feeds
- Visuals, captions, hashtags and engagement all contribute to algorithm
I hope this guide gave you ideas and a process for spicing up your Instagram experience. If you‘re interested in learning more about maximizing Instagram‘s algorithm as a brand, I recommend the [Hootsuite Instagram Marketing course] (https://www.hootsuite.com/education/courses/instagram-marketing).
Now get out there, reset those feeds and help great content get discovered! Let me know if have any other questions.
