Instagram Rolls Out ‘Watch History’ for Reels: Easily Find and Rewatch Your Favorite Videos
Instagram New Feature 2025:
Instagram has introduced a long-awaited “Watch History” feature for Reels, allowing users to easily revisit videos they’ve previously watched. With this update, users can now find, filter, and even remove old Reels directly from the “Your Activity” section — a feature that works much like YouTube’s or Facebook’s watch history.
For years, one of Instagram’s biggest user complaints was the inability to rediscover a Reel after scrolling past it. Unless you remembered the creator’s name or saved the post, tracking it down was nearly impossible. Now, the new “Watch History” feature solves that problem entirely.
What Is the Instagram ‘Watch History’ Feature?
Instagram’s Watch History is a dedicated section where users can view all the Reels they’ve watched in the last 30 days. This update brings Instagram in line with platforms like YouTube, which already offer similar functionality.
According to Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, the feature is designed to make content discovery easier and give users more control over their viewing experience. The “Watch History” also comes with handy filter options, including:
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Newest to Oldest: View Reels in the order you watched them.
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By Date: Filter Reels by specific dates.
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By Author: Find Reels from specific creators.
How to Access Reels Watch History on Instagram
To use this new feature, follow these simple steps:
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Open the Instagram app on your phone.
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Go to your profile page.
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Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top-right corner.
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Select “Your Activity.”
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Scroll down to find “Watch History” under the “How You Use Instagram” section.
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Tap to open your Reels history.
Here, you’ll see a list of all the Reels you’ve watched in the past month. You can also apply filters to narrow down your search by creator, date, or the order you viewed them.
Option to Remove Unwanted Reels
Instagram isn’t just letting you rewatch your favorite clips — it’s also giving you the power to clean up your watch list.
If you want to delete specific Reels from your history, you can do so easily:
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Tap the “Select” option at the top right of the screen.
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Choose the Reels you want to remove.
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Confirm your action to delete them from your Watch History.
This helps users maintain privacy or simply clear out unnecessary content they no longer want saved in their viewing records.
Availability Across Platforms
The Reels Watch History feature has begun rolling out on both Android and iOS devices. However, it’s important to note that this functionality is not yet available on Instagram’s web version. The platform has hinted that a desktop rollout may follow in upcoming updates.
Why This Feature Matters
The addition of Watch History marks a major improvement in Instagram’s usability. As Reels continue to dominate the platform’s short-form content strategy, this feature ensures that users can easily rediscover videos they enjoyed — without relying on memory or manual saves.
It also strengthens Instagram’s position in the competitive short-video space, where YouTube Shorts and TikTok already offer extensive playback and search features.
Key Highlights
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Instagram adds “Watch History” for Reels.
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Accessible via the “Your Activity” menu.
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Users can filter, search, or delete Reels from their history.
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Available on Android and iOS, web version rollout pending.
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Stores viewing data from the past 30 days.
Conclusion:
Instagram’s new Watch History feature is a welcome update for users who love Reels but struggle to find them again. Whether you want to revisit a hilarious clip or remove old ones for privacy, this feature gives you total control over your viewing experience. Keep your app updated to access the latest Instagram tools and stay ahead with every new feature the platform introduces.
