How to See Watch History on Instagram

Have you ever found yourself desperately scrolling to rediscover a Reel you watched earlier on Instagram, but it just vanished? You’re not alone. The good news is that Instagram has finally introduced a dedicated Reels watch history feature, putting an end to all that endless scrolling.

You can now easily revisit the Reels you’ve watched recently or even a month back, right within the app. This long-awaited addition makes it simpler to find, rewatch, and share your favorite videos, no more relying on likes or saves as workarounds.

Let’s walk you through how this watch history feature works and where to find it.

What Instagram Tracks: Reels, Videos, and Live Streams

Except for Reels, Instagram tracks only the content you engage with, not what you simply watch. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Reels and In-Feed Videos

• Every Reel you watch is tracked and can be found in your watch history.
• In-feed videos that aren’t labeled as Reels are only tracked if you like, comment, save, or share, and can be found later in your Liked Posts or Saved Collections.

2. Live Streams

• Not tracked unless you interact or the creator saves it to their profile.
• You can’t revisit a live video unless the creator uploads it afterward.

Instagram Watch History vs. Activity Log

Many users confuse Watch History with the Activity Log. Here’s the difference:

• Watch History is a part of the Activity Log and lists all the Reels you’ve watched.
• Activity Log only shows the content you’ve liked, saved, shared, or commented on.

So, while you can easily revisit any watched Reels, you’ll still need to engage with other content types if you want them to appear in your activity records later.

How to Check Your Reels Watch History on Instagram

Instagram’s Reels watch history feature is hidden under the Your Activity section in plain sight. Here’s how you can access it:

1. Open the Instagram app and head to your profile.
2. Tap the hamburger icon (More Options) in the top-right corner.
3. Next, locate and tap ‘Your activity‘ under ‘How you use Instagram‘.
4. Now, scroll down to the bottom and tap Watch History.
   
5. You’ll see a chronological list of Reels you’ve watched. Tap an item to revisit.
6. You can also sort the list from oldest to newest, and filter it by date and author.
   

How to Revisit Liked Reels and Posts on Instagram

If, for some reason, the Watch History feature isn’t available to you yet, or you want to revisit content other than Reels, you can use the Activity Log to revisit the content you liked or commented on. Here’s how:

1. Open your Instagram profile, then tap the hamburger icon in the top-right corner.
2. Locate and tap Your Activity.
3. Here, tap Likes or Comments under ‘Interactions‘.
   
   • View the content you liked or commented on in the past.
     

Stay on Top of Your Watch Habits

Since the arrival of Reels on Instagram, one of the most frustrating things has been losing a great Reel you watched and not being able to find it again. But thanks to Instagram now offering a dedicated Watch History for Reels, that problem is finally addressed. Additionally, you still need to rely on interacting with content other than Reels if you want to revisit it later.

The Reels Watch History feature is finally here for everyone! Have you tried it yet? Tell us in the comments which Reel you revisited first.

Related articles worth reading:

• How to Download Instagram Reels on iPhone
• How to Remix Reels on Instagram and Go Viral
• Why You See Sensitive Content on Instagram and How to Control It