What you need to know
- Instagram is adding a new Watch history feature that lets users revisit Reels they've already watched.
- The feature allows sorting Reels by date watched or filtering them by specific accounts or date ranges.
- Users can access Watch History via Profile > Menu > Settings > Your activity > Watch history.
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Have you ever scrolled past a Reel on Instagram only to never find it again? Despite countless searches and scrolling, you just can't seem to locate that Reel, right? Well, Instagram is finally coming to the rescue as the company has announced it is adding a watch history section.
Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, took to the company's X-rival Threads to announce that Instagram is finally adding a YouTube-like Watch History feature for Reels. This section will display all the Reels you've watched through your account, making it easier to find that specific Reel you're looking for.
According to Mosseri, this section will allow you to sort Reels by date watched (oldest to newest or newest to oldest) or narrow it down to a specific date or range of dates. Mosseri also added that Instagram will let you filter watch history by the account that posted that Reel.
Finding that lost Reel on Instagram just got easier
The Watch History feature will be available similarly to how you can see your likes and comments by going to your profile tab > tapping the three-line menu in the top-right corner > selecting Settings > Your activity > Watch history.
I can already see the new section live in the latest version of the Instagram app on my Pixel 10 Pro, so it seems the feature is rolling out widely.
In theory, the feature sounds quite useful as it will finally allow users to go back and find videos they had watched or scrolled past accidentally. It will also prevent users from relying on other techniques like liking Reels to save them for later or sending Reels to themselves to find again.
However, someone who watches a lot of Reels every day might find this feature less useful, as finding older ones might still be tricky, as they get buried in a long list. Still, it's a welcome and much-needed addition.
