You open Reels to scroll for a few minutes, and the first five videos are in a language you can’t understand. They were filmed in cities you’ve never seen, and their comment sections are filled with usernames you can’t read either. Maybe it began after a vacation. Or maybe it was slowly creeping in over the course of several weeks. In either case, your feed has stopped feeling like it was designed specifically for you.
And this complaint is very common among Instagram users. But there is almost always a reason for that, and it’s not Instagram randomly choosing posts from other countries.
Here is what signals it picks up, why the recent updates to the app led to increased cross-border recommendations, and what actions can help you get back your personalized feed.
How Instagram Picks Content
There are multiple algorithms working inside Instagram, each of them responsible for Feed, Stories, Explore, and Reels, respectively. However, they all use the same set of data about your preferences and habits.
They include accounts you follow, posts you like, save, share, comment on, and watch, keywords you use when you search for something on Instagram, as well as language and location settings tied to your account and device.
Most foreign content appears in suggested posts, which are content from accounts you don’t follow. The goal is simple: choose the videos that will engage you and keep your interest until the end. And if the system understands that a Reel from Brazil or South Korea will do that for you, then the country it comes from doesn’t matter.
Why Does Instagram Suggest Posts From Other Countries to Me?
Usually, there are several reasons acting together.
Your Location Settings Have Changed
Instagram uses location settings to identify where you are now. These can include the country settings in your account, your phone’s location access if you gave it permission, and the IP address of the internet connection you are currently using.
Changes in any of them can lead to recommendations for content from another country.
The first thing that springs to mind is travel. After spending a week in Thailand and browsing Instagram daily, the system may start considering you a local user. And sometimes the effect can linger after you return home from your trip. Another reason is mobile roaming. Some providers may route your internet traffic through another country’s server, meaning your IP address and location will differ.
But the main source of issues is VPN usage. If you connect to a server in Germany, the system will see a German IP address. Most users forget that a VPN is enabled for many days in a row.
If you’re not sure of your location settings, check your IP address using an IP lookup tool. They provide you with the country, city, and Internet Service Provider associated with your IP address. For example, if your IP address shows that you’re located in the Netherlands when you’re sitting in your kitchen in Ohio, this might be the cause. Check both Wi-Fi and mobile data, as the results may differ.
You Engaged With Content From Another Country, Even for a Moment
Watch time is one of the most valuable indicators Instagram uses. If you watch a video from a Turkish creator twice, the system knows about it. After that, it tests you with more videos from similar creators, who usually belong to the same country and use the same language. A couple of likes or pauses can change your feed significantly in a few days.
Your Language Settings Don’t Match
The system analyzes the language settings of your app, your phone’s settings, as well as the languages of the subtitles you work with. If they point in different directions (e.g., your phone is in Spanish while the Instagram app is in English), the system might prefer showing you content in different languages.
AI Translation Has Removed the Language Barrier
This is the newest reason. Meta AI learned how to translate, dub, and lip-sync Reels in other languages using the creator’s own voice. This technology appeared first in English and Spanish in 2025, then it included Hindi and Portuguese. In January 2026, it became available for Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Kannada, and in July 2026, Instagram introduced translations to French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Korean.
The consequence is that a Reel filmed in Seoul can become your video in English and compete for your attention with other local videos. Translated Reels are marked, so you can easily recognize them.
Your Interests Are Global in Nature
There are some topics with extremely large communities abroad. Football, K-pop, anime, street food, and travel videos are examples of that. If you have these interests, most of the best content will be produced outside your country, and Instagram will keep suggesting it because of its high performance.
How to Fix It
Go through the list below step by step. First of all, correcting your location settings is crucial because, without that, the system will keep suggesting content according to the same signals.
1. Fix Your Location Settings
If you are using a VPN, turn it off. Otherwise, change the server to one in your country, and run the IP test once again to see if your location signals have changed.
After that, check your phone’s settings. If you’re using an iPhone, go to Settings > Instagram > Location. If it’s an Android smartphone, open Settings > Apps > Instagram > Permissions. Enabling location access while you use Instagram provides it with more accurate information, but this is a personal preference, not an obligation.
2. Align Your Language Settings
Open your profile, tap Menu, and go to Settings and activity. In the language section, you should select the language you would like to see content in. Also, try to keep it in accordance with your phone’s system language.
3. Use the Your Algorithm Tool
Instagram launched a special tool called Your Algorithm for Reels in December 2025, starting with the US region and gradually introducing it to other English-speaking regions. In April 2026, it became available for Explore, and now Instagram has introduced it in the main feed.
To access Your Algorithm for Reels, open the Reels tab and tap the icon with two horizontal lines and small hearts in the top-right corner. There, you will see the summary of the interests Instagram has identified. Remove the topics leading to foreign content, and add more local topics (such as your local football league or local street food).
Availability of this tool might differ according to your region and language.
4. Provide Instagram With Feedback About Your Preferences
These are the most effective ways of providing the system with information about your preferences:
- Tap the three dots on a suggested post or Reel and choose “Not interested.” Do it several times.
- In Explore, indicate that you’re “Interested” in the videos that catch your eye.
- Add words and hashtags you see in unwanted posts to the list of Hidden Words (Settings and activity).
- If suggested posts dominate your main feed, snooze them for 30 days from the Content preferences screen.
5. Reset Suggested Content
If your recommendations have gone completely wrong, start from scratch. Open Settings and activity, then go to Content preferences and tap Reset suggested content. Instagram will ask you to review the list of accounts you’re following and confirm it.
It will wipe out your recommendations in Explore, Reels, and suggested posts in your feed. Your posts, followers, and messages will stay untouched. Of course, your feed will look rather bland at first. But this is normal because the app has to start learning about your preferences all over again.
6. Retrain Your Feed Intentionally
This is the most important stage for the first week after a reset. Follow a couple of accounts in your country. Search for local topics, events, and locations. Watch the videos until the end, save and share the most interesting ones. Avoid any off-topic content.
If you want to stop getting suggestions while resetting your feed, use the Following feed. To activate it, just tap the Instagram logo in the top-left corner of the home screen. It will display only posts from accounts you’re following, in chronological order.
How Long Will It Take?
You will see a visible difference within a few days of changing your location and providing feedback. The full reset will take one to two weeks of active use before your feed starts feeling like yours again. If foreign content keeps appearing in your feed, check your IP address again. Usually, this indicates that you’re using a VPN with automatic reconnection or forgot to turn off mobile roaming after your trip.
Conclusion
Instagram suggests content from other countries because it expects that it will keep engaging you. Your location settings, viewing habits, language settings, and the recent app update that introduced content translations all contribute to this decision.
But there is good news. You can affect all of them.
First of all, start with the basics: check your IP address, disable the unnecessary VPN, and align your language settings. After that, use the Your Algorithm tool, the “Not interested” button, and reset your feed if necessary. After a couple of weeks of consistent use, your feed will be like new again.
