After a recent update, I started noticing Meta AI features popping up in my Facebook and Instagram apps. They’re changing how I use the platforms, and I’d really like to turn them off or at least limit their functionality. Is there an option to disable Meta AI, or does anyone know a workaround? Any advice would help.
Short answer: Nope, you can’t really turn those Meta AI features off as of now, which is super annoying. Basically, Meta shoved their AI into search, messaging, and feeds throughout Facebook and Instagram, and it’s sticking around whether we like it or not. There’s no kill switch in the app settings, and the best you’ll get is to try and avoid triggers—like not tapping the AI sidebar or starting AI-related chats. You can hide a few AI-generated posts (tap the three dots and select “not interested”), but it’s whack-a-mole: the AI stuff just keeps coming back elsewhere.
A lot of folks have been complaining, but unless Meta gives us an official opt-out, you’re stuck either ignoring it or hoping they cave under pressure eventually. If it seriously ruins your experience, some people delete the apps and just use the browser versions (where the integration is slightly less in-your-face). That’s about the only “practical” workaround right now, but who knows how long until AI invades that too?
Basically, resistance is futile—for now, anyway.
I completely get the frustration, and tbh @andarilhonoturno summed up the pain points with Meta’s AI stuff pretty well. But I’m gonna be real: even though you can’t technically ‘disable’ the AI per se, I’m not convinced it’s totally fruitless to try some workaround that helps at least reduce the noise.
First, in addition to hiding AI-generated posts (which, yeah, feels like endless whack-a-mole), you can try restricting some of Meta’s data inputs: flip your ad/privacy settings to minimize data collection or set your account to private, limit third-party integrations—anything to cut back on the profile they can use for AI recommendations. (Not that it’ll erase the AI stuff, but sometimes it leads to a bit less personalization, and that can dull the feed’s “AI in your face” feeling just a tad.)
Honestly though, part of me wonders if milder resistance can do much of anything. Seems like Meta’s pretty well invested in this AI direction, and unless there’s a BIG public backlash or some regulatory drama, they aren’t rolling it back any time soon. Some folks in my circle have tried using third-party modded FB/IG apps, but that’s honestly just asking to get your account flagged, so…def waffle on recommending that.
Oh and browser trick? Meh. I sometimes think there’s less AI there too, like @andarilhonoturno mentioned, but lately it feels like Meta is slapping those features everywhere—even web interface “search” gets you the AI bot half the time. Feels a bit like running from a hydra’s heads tbh.
On a slightly hopeful note, major feedback spikes have led Meta to temper features in the past—remember when they tried that Stories/Feed merger disaster? If enough people noise up about unwanted AI, maybe there’ll be an “off switch” future. Until then, seems we’re beta testers whether we like it or not.